Black Roses
by elena00dgmpkm
Summary: Contestshipping with some AAML! Ash, possessed by the evil King of Pokemopolis beats Brandon of the Battle Pyramid in a battle and now is intent on ruling the world! What happens when during these horrible times, love is found? NOW COMPLETED!
1. Prologue

**Full summary: What would've happened if while Ash had been possessed by the King of Pokemopolis, he had beat Brandon in the Battle Pyramid. What would've happened had he taken all of his friend's and Brandon's pokemon with plans to rule the world, with his friends as his closest advisers, generals, and even assassins? What would make them work with him? How will he be stopped? What are his evil plans with the world? And is it possible that in this whole mess, love can be found???**

**WARNING: Violence. Just thought I'd get that out there now.**

**Lots of questions in that summary, anyway, this is mainly contestshipping with some pokeshipping moments. I've had this idea in my head for awhile and now here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon because if I did pokeshipping and contestshipping would be even more real than they already are.**

.

Black Roses

Prologue

It was dark outside. Nothing could be heard but the rain falling hard on many rooftops. She ran through it all at top speed jumping lithely from rooftop to rooftop. Of course she was closely followed by him. He was her partner, her team mate, and most importantly, her life line. It was needed in this line of work. And as he was to her, she was to him. Because of their position, they had to trust each other absolutely and always work in sync.

It was funny how it had been hard at first but now it seemed so easy. So natural. It almost felt as if they thought with the same mind at times. That was how the job worked. They had to be close or it would cost them their lives.

After awhile they reached their destination. She looked down at the building and held up her hand to signal him to stop. He looked at the building and nodded to her. She took out a pokeball and stepped closer to the edge of the building. She whispered to the pokeball quietly. "You know what to do. Target is in the left half of the room, third table. Go!" She said as she dropped the ball to the ground near a window.

Out of the ball came a Weavile. He quickly jumped through the window and into the small gathering. It looked almost like a ball except less people, and no one was dressed up. There were tables that people were sitting at but no dancing or music. There wasn't even any food. The only reason she thought of a ball when she looked down at the place was because balls where probably held in places like this long ago. Before the rule of their Lordship that is.

He was the only one who was allowed to throw parties and they were always about him. He was pretty much the only one who ever had fun at those places. That was why they were here though. To stop this gathering. This was against the law and they were sent to punish those who didn't listen and called together these meetings.

Weavile ran through the crowd quickly and was soon joined by a Mightyena. She looked over at him and saw that he was crouched down next to her. He released his Mightyena the same time she had released Weavile. That was the kind of sync they worked in.

Weavile and Mightyena found their targets quickly. Weavile used cut on the man's throat before he knew what was coming. And at the same time Mightyena used bite on his selected target's throat. The two bodies slumped to the floor, a pool of blood already forming around both of them. Mightyena and Weavile ran out the window they had come through and onto the rooftop with their masters.

"Good work." They said in unison before returning them to their pokeballs. She took out a piece of paper and attached it to a small rock before throwing it through the window Weavile and Mightyena had already broken. Then they ran off the roof top in the direction of the castle to report back to the King that the mission had been a success.

Meanwhile at the gathering, everyone was screaming as loved ones of the dead men cried over their dead bodies. A women found the paper attached to the rock and opened it up. Inside was the Kings seal and a note. She knew now who had killed her friends and why. The note simply said:

"You obey my rules, or you don't live to break them again.

-Your King"

**Ok, well review so that I know if this is any good yet. First chapter shall go up tomorrow if I have anything to say about it! And since I'm the author, what do you know, I do have a lot to say about it. Mwahahahahaha! (*laughs the evil Kings laugh*)**


	2. The Loss that Lost Everything

**YAY! First chapter! I've been waiting for this! This is gonna be good! And I already got a review! Yay! Like all my other stories I will answer all reviews at the beginning of each chapter.**

**Arysd- Thanks! I'm glad it's what someone was looking for. I was afraid it was a bit too much but I'm glad it just made you more interested. And don't worry; all questions will be answered in time.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon**.

Black Roses

Chapter 1: The Loss that Lost Everything

May looked on in horror. Brandon was losing the battle. Ash, or rather the evil King of Pokemopolis, was winning.

She looked down at her pokeballs in her hands, tears in her eyes as she thought of losing them. She looked over at Misty. Tears were spilling down her cheeks at the way Ash was acting. The way he was battling wasn't his own though. Misty should know that it wasn't him acting that way. And she did know that but she must have been worried about Ash himself too.

Earlier that day they had met Misty and Tracey at the Pokemon Center. They had come to watch Ash's last Frontier Battle. And then Drew had showed up and ended up staying to watch the battle. He had been heading to the Indigo Plateau just like she had and they ran into each other. She was surprised he was going to travel with them to the Indigo Plateau. He usually liked to go his own way most of the time. She had been glad he had decided to travel with them.

Now she wasn't so sure. If Brandon lost, then he would lose his Pokemon too. She looked up at Drew and he was gritting his teeth and his fists were clenched. He was worried. Drew was usually the calm one.

She looked back at the battle and watched as Septile got in another direct hit with its Solar Beam and Regirock wasn't looking so good. Even Brandon looked worried.

"Regirock, use Hyper Beam!" Brandon yelled.

"Some people never learn. Septile, jump into the stands!" He yelled. Septile looked hesitant but obeyed Ash's word. He jumped into the stands and right behind May.

"Regirock! Stop the attack!!" He yelled, but it was too late. It was heading right for the stands. Everyone got up and ran as fast as they could but May was too scared to move. She closed her eyes and cowered in the other direction. Then she was shoved out of the way and landed on the floor back first with something on top of her. She opened her eyes and saw that Drew was the one who had pushed her out of the way. He looked at Ash, angry.

"Are you crazy?? You could've killed someone!" He screamed.

The King laughed. "You think I care? Less of you to get rid of later." He said with a smile.

Drew narrowed his eyes at him but remained silent.

"Uh, Drew, you can get off of me now." She told him quietly.

He looked down at her when she spoke and blushed before getting up quickly and holding out a hand to her. She took it and stood.

"Are you ok?" He asked her. She smiled and nodded.

"Thanks to you."

He shrugged. "It was nothing." Then he turned around and walked over to where everyone else had run to. Septile had ended up dodging the attack anyway and the stands that they had been in had a huge hole in it now. They were now at the top of the stands where no one would get behind them.

"Is everyone ok?" She asked them. They all nodded and she was glad.

"Regirock! No!" She heard Brandon yell. She looked to the arena quickly and saw that Regirock was unable to battle.

"No." May whispered.

The King was laughing. "Return Septile! Now the rest of you, hand over your Pokemon!"

May was shaking her head. "No." She whispered again. "NO!" She screamed and ran out of the arena as fast as she could. She could see Drew running right behind her and the rest of her friends were following close behind.

Drew ran up right next to her. "I won't give them up that easily." She told him. He smiled. "I know May. I know. None of us will. He won't get them. I swear." He assured her. They all got out and ran into the woods as fast as they could. They ran for a long time and soon realized they weren't being followed. They finally stopped running and everyone relaxed.

"We should stop and eat something." Brock said, always the logical one. Everyone nodded and in no time they were sitting around a fire eating.

No one said anything for awhile, not sure what to say.

May felt like she needed to cheer everyone up a little bit. She felt awful just sitting there in silence like that. "At least we got away." May said quietly. Everyone turned to her when she spoke, as if they had just been made of stone moments ago.

Brock frowned. "That's because he wanted us to get away." This time everyone looked at Brock much quicker.

"What do you mean?" May said quietly.

"Think about it. He may be an evil King, but he only has his Pokemon as his followers and none of them will agree to do anything really horrible. He'll need evil Pokemon and if we had all taken him on head first, he might not have won. Although he probably has Brandon's Pokemon now, it might not have been enough. He needs to regroup first."

"But who would follow him? He probably won't get far on his plans, right?" She asked nervously.

Brock looked down. "May, as long as there's people in this world like Team Rocket, Team Magma, and Team Aqua, people and Pokemon will follow him." He said sadly.

May looked at everyone. They all looked grim. They all knew, just like she knew, that this wouldn't end well. The silence this time was broken by a sob. May looked over at Misty.

"What about Ash!?" Misty asked hysterically. "He's stuck inside that-that monster!" She screamed. May got up from where she was sitting and walked over to Misty. She put her arm around her but didn't say anything. What was there to say? Everything was going to be ok? Everything wasn't going to be ok. She knew that deep down inside. She didn't want to make promises she couldn't keep either. She just kept her arm around her while she cried.

Then there was a rustling in the bushes and everyone got really quiet. They were all afraid of what could be coming their way. Just then they saw a small yellow mouse Pokemon emerge, tears in the little Pokemon's eyes.

"Pikachu!" Misty yelled and she got up and ran over to it. She picked it up and hugged it tightly. "I'm so glad you got away."

May let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She got up and walked over to Misty and Pikachu. They were both crying and hugging each other. They were both worried about Ash.

***

Ash didn't know where he was at first. He had woken up surrounded by darkness. Then he saw that he was battling Brandon of the Battle Pyramid. He had gotten into the battle at first but then he realized he wasn't in control of his body. He looked into the stands and saw all his friends really upset. Misty was crying…

Then a Hyper Beam almost obliterated them all.

"_You think I care? Less of you to get rid of later."_

His lips had said it, but they weren't his words. He gritted his teeth at such things. Of course he cared! And he wouldn't want to get rid of his friends! He's never want that!

Then he saw that he had won. He was happy about the win. He was now the Battle Frontier Champion. He then watched as his friends ran from him. He reached out a hand to them but he couldn't reach them. Not from where he was. Wherever this place was.

Then he watched as Pikachu looked at him with hatred. Ash didn't understand.

"Pikachu, I know you don't like me but believe me, you'll get used to this line of work. Soon enough, this will be your life." He laughed and then looked back down at Pikachu.

"Pika pika!! Pi Pikachu!" He yelled and then ran out the same door as his friends.

"Who are you?! Stop controlling me!!" Ash screamed.

_Shut up. Your body is proving useful to me. I'm not nearly done with you yet. And who am I? Why, I'm the King of Pokemopolis you fool! Well it doesn't matter, soon enough; everyone will know who I am._ The King told him. Ash clenched his fists.

"I swear, if you hurt them-"

_What? You'll give me a head ache by yelling at me? Give me a break. I have much more power then you._ Just then Ash was surrounded by a thick cloud of darkness. It slowly closed in on him and when it touched him the pain was unbearable.

He was being burned, shocked, frozen, stabbed, and suffocated all at the same time. He couldn't even stay afloat. He started falling through the darkness.

"What…is…this?!" He choked out.

_That's pure darkness. And this is nothing near the amount of power it has._ He said and Ash gasped in pain. This was nothing?

_So if you shut up and don't piss me off; I'll stop._ He told him.

"THEN STOP!" He gasped out in pain. Suddenly the black cloud disappeared and he was floating again. He looked down at his body, well his body in here, and saw that he wasn't hurt at all. The pain had gone as instantly as it had come.

"Alright. I'll be quiet like you asked." He said through his teeth. This was against everything inside himself. He wasn't like this. Ash fought for what he wanted. He never gave in. But that wasn't the kind of pain you could fight through. It was a pain that left you without a feeling except that pain. He wouldn't be able to keep trying in that kind of pain so it was worthless. He was worthless. He couldn't believe he let this happen.

He wondered what kind of things he'd have to watch in this body that wasn't his anymore. He hoped his friends would get away.

_They won't._

"Great, you can hear my thoughts too?" He asked.

_Insolent boy. Of course I can. And your friends aren't going to get away. I plan on getting them._

"And how are you going to do that?" He asked.

_Why would I tell you? Stop talking to me you fool! You'll just have to see what happens to them!_ He yelled getting annoyed by Ash's questions.

Ash felt so defeated. He knew that if he annoyed the King he'd just feel the darkness again. He really didn't want that.

The King walked outside and in the direction that Pikachu had run. He walked at a normal pace. After awhile he stepped through some trees and sure enough there they were. Sitting around a fire. Pikachu was in Misty's arms and everyone else was sitting around the fire.

They all looked up in shock.

The King laughed. "I'll give you thirty seconds to get a head start." He said with a smile and laughed again. They all stood up and Ash begged them mentally to run.

"We're not going anywhere." Tracey said. "You can't take on all of us with just Ash's Pokemon. Plus a lot of them won't even listen to you!"

"I don't need those fools." He said with a smile. Streams of black and white smoke came out of the King and rolled in all around them, and then drifted back to the King with all their pokeballs in the mist.

"Now I'll say it again. You have thirty seconds." He said, now putting all the pokeballs in Ash's backpack.

They all stared at him angry, scared, and upset that their beloved Pokemon were now gone. Ash almost couldn't stand to watch this.

"1, 2, 3…" The King began to count. They all ran in different directions. When the King reached fifteen he stopped counting and just followed them. He found each one with ease. Brock, Max, and Tracey were first. The King used the black and white mist to make hand cuff that chained them all together. The mist followed the King so it forced the others to follow as well. Next he found May and Drew.

"Take me! Leave her alone!" Drew yelled at him. May looked on in surprise. Ash smiled faintly, but knew that Drew's attempts wouldn't do anything. Being in the same body as the King made him see things the way the King did. Drew just looked stupid to the King, not heroic or brave or anything.

"I was planning on taking both of you." He told Drew and the smoke soon had them both. The King smiled.

_At least this gives me something to bargain with later._ He thought to himself.

"What's that supposed mean?!" Ash yelled. He wasn't planning to drag his friends into this evil, was he??

_I said shut up!_ He screamed and gave Ash a quick taste of darkness. Ash slumped down in pain just as it disappeared.

She clenched his fists but kept quiet.

Next he found Misty and Pikachu.

"No." He whispered. The King just ignored him and smiled.

"So Pikachu, still refuse to join me?" He asked. Pikachu showed his teeth to him. "Pika." He growled at him.

"Fine, then go with the others!" He yelled and took out an old pokeball with a lightning bolt on it that Ash had never used before. "Return!" He said and Pikachu ran but couldn't get away. He was sucked into the place he hated most and there was nothing Ash could do.

"No!" He was ignored again as the King looked over at Misty.

"If I was you, I'd just come along with us." He said, gesturing to the others behind him.

Misty didn't say anything. "You all seem to be forgetting something." He said with a smile. "I still have you're little friend in here."

Misty's head jerked up when he said that. "He's not hurt is he?" She asked quietly.

"For now until he gets on my nerves enough for me to hurt him some more." He told her.

"Don't hurt him!" She screamed.

"Then maybe you should do what I say and come along easily." He got closer to her and Ash growled under his breath.

"You're far too pretty for the dungeon." He told her.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Ash screamed. And to his surprise, everyone seemed to have heard him. He realized that he had said it out of his own mouth.

"You fool! NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" The King screamed aloud and Ash got another blast of darkness that lasted longer than the last times.

"Misty!-Don't…do…it!" He choked out as loud as he could and once again they heard him.

Another blast of pain hit him even harder and he was glad that with this pain he had to pass out soon. But peace never came. He just continued to burn, get shocked, frozen, stabbed, and suffocated with no letting up and no end to this hell.

Ash collapsed in space and couldn't find the will power to do anything as he watched in horror as Misty joined the others and they were led back to the Battle Pyramid that the King had already claimed for himself. Brandon was looked in the basement. The King had made that his dungeon. And Ash had a feeling that his friends would soon be down there too.

And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

**I know I said this was mostly Contestshipping and I know this looks mostly pokeshipping so far but it's only because it's the beginning. I mean, he just got possessed. If you loved him, wouldn't you be pretty darn upset? Well I would. But it did have some contestshipping moments of course. I plan for this fic to mostly be in the point of view of May, Drew, and Ash just because I love writing it from Ash's point of view. It's very fun. Hehe.**

**Ok well anyway, review please! I'm liking this fic so far and I hope you are too. New chapter should be up soon!**


	3. What Hangs in the Balance

**Got two reviews! I'm happy about that! And second chapter! I can't wait!! This is going to be good. Reviews first though!**

**Arysd- Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it so much! I love writing this way with the point of views and I'm glad you like it too. And yes, poor Drew and his weakness! XD**

**PokeShipper101- Thank you! It's addictive to write! Haha. I myself can't wait to see what happens as I keep writing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon**.

Black Roses

Chapter 2: What Hangs in the Balance

May was asleep. Drew was glad. Sleep would do her some good. She had been on edge for so long. How long? Well none of them were sure. In the dungeon no light ever came through. There was no way to tell time down there. Drew at one point counted the seconds for something to do but after 5284 he realized that if anyone ever really tried to count the time down there, they'd go mad first. If Drew had to guess, he'd say they were down there for about a week.

Food was thrown down there ever once and awhile but he knew that they weren't getting fed three times day. Probably one time every three days. And it wasn't a lot of food either. They would each get a few bites of something. He was worried about May though. He could tell she was getting thinner every day. He was even more worried about that girl Misty. She didn't even ever want to eat. Everyone had to always force her to eat.

Just then the door opened again and someone came in and closed the door behind him. He was just a normal guy, no one they knew. "The King wants to see you all." He told them. Drew clenched his fist. He wondered what he wanted but he already knew that it wouldn't be anything good. Everyone stood up and Drew moved over to May and shook her gently.

"May, you need to get up now. The King wants to see us." He told her. She opened her eyes slowly and sat up.

"He wants to see us?" She asked. Drew just nodded and helped her up. They followed the others out of the basement and up the stairs. The moment they got out of the stairs the hall they were in was lit with torches. They all shielded their eyes. The light hurt. It blinded them. Being in darkness for so long made you sensitive to that bright a light.

Once Drew got his vision back he looked around and noticed that things were very different. Instead of an arena, they were now in a hallway. The hall led in one direction and they soon made it to a door. The door opened and inside was Ash sitting on a throne. The room was also lit by torches and Ash looked like the ancient King he was possessed by. He wasn't dressed differently but he still looked dark and evil. Behind the King's throne was a curtain.

He noticed that there were other people just like the one who had led them here. They were his followers. Brock had been right. People would follow him.

They reached the throne and the King looked at them and smiled. "So how was your time in the dungeon?" He asked.

"Memorable." Drew answered coldly.

The King laughed. "Do you like what I've done with the place?" He asked.

"How did you do so much in a week's time?" Tracey asked him. Drew had been confused at how many followers he had now and how much had changed.

"You think you've been down there for a week?" The King asked. "Fools. You have been down there for two months." He told them.

Everyone gasped. "It couldn't have been that long! How could it have?" May yelled. Then she looked around and then back at the King. "Where are our Pokemon?" May asked.

The King laughed. "I took care of them."

Drew looked at him with wide eyes. "You what?! What did you do with them?!" He screamed.

The King laughed. "It is not important. Right now, what's important is that I am going to assign to you what your jobs will be as my followers." He told them.

"We'll never follow you!" Misty screamed. Drew saw the King flinch at Misty's scream but then he smiled and laughed. If Drew had to guess, he'd say the scream had affected Ash inside the King.

"You won't? Well I suppose these people will pay the price." He told her. Just then the curtain Drew had noticed before opened and behind it was a large cage. In the cage he saw a lot of people. He didn't know many of them.

"Violet! Lily! Daisy!" Misty screamed.

"Like, get us out of here!" A blond girl yelled.

"Brock! Big brother! Help us!" A bunch of kids screamed all together. They all looked a lot like Brock.

"Tracey! What's wrong with Ash??" Professor Oak asked. That was someone Drew did know.

"May! Max!" A man and women screamed.

"Mom! Dad!" May screamed, tears in her eyes. Max was already crying into May's leg.

The King laughed. "So you see, if you care about these people, I'd follow me otherwise the cage drops." Everyone in the cage screamed and Drew saw that below the cage was a roaring fire.

"Oh, and just so I have everyone with me, guards." He snapped a finger and two men came and grabbed May. "Stop!" Drew screamed, but they already had her and were holding her over the edge as well.

"You see Drew, all you have to do is say you will follow me and she'll live. And the same goes for the rest of you." He told them. Drew didn't even have to think about it.

"Drew, don't!" May screamed.

"I will follow you." He put his head down and a guard walked over to him and forced him onto his knees so that he'd be kneeling for the King.

The King laughed and signaled for the guards to put May back. They brought her back to where she had been and put her down next to Drew.

"Drew." She whispered.

"Now as for the rest of you, what's your answer?" He asked. They all stood still, not sure what to do.

The King snapped his fingers and one of the chains that was holding the cage up broke. The cage got a bit closer to the fire and everyone inside screamed.

"Ok! I'll follow you!" Brock screamed.

"I'll follow you!" Misty cried.

"I'll follow you!" Tracey yelled.

Max looked over at May for a moment and then looked back at the King. "I'll follow you too."

May looked at everyone and then at Drew. He shook his head and she shook hers back before looking to the King. "I'll follow you." She said slowly.

The King laughed. "Well good, now that we all have an understanding here, guards, put out the fire and retrieve their loved ones." He told them. The guards did as they were told and everyone ran to hug their loved ones and make sure they were alright. Drew followed May to her parents and smiled as they hugged each other.

"Now take them away." The King ordered. The guards came and took away May's parents and all the others that were in the cage.

"Where are you taking them??" May yelled.

"Why, I'm taking them back to town. The town that I now rule over. Of course it's only one of the towns I rule over. You've all missed so much." He said with a smile.

Their loved ones were swept out of the room and then they were gone.

He looked over the group. "Now, I'll give you your positions." He looked down at Max first. "You'll be in charge of information. You'll report to me on everything that you know when asked. You'll research whatever I want to know and then inform me. Understand?" He asked.

Max looked at May again and nodded slowly. "I understand."

"Good." The King said before looking at Tracey and Brock. "Now, you two will be my generals. You will be in charge of my military. You will be trained in the art and put in the army for a bit."

Brock and Tracey nodded. The thought of being generals was strange.

"Next I need two assassins. This position will have the most training. Years of training will be necessary. You will be trained in the art of killing and you will kill whoever you are commanded to kill. This task will go to Drew and May." Drew looked over at May. Her eyes were opened wide, shock on her face.

"I can't kill!" She screamed and began to sob.

Drew looked to the King. "Why? Why did you pick us for the job?" He asked.

The King laughed. "Well I picked you because I think you're the only one here who might have the spine to kill someone. So much suppressed anger in you. It would be easy for you. You were made to be a killer. I can just tell."

"Drew is not a murderer!! He'd never be able to kill!" May screamed.

The King looked over at her. "And I picked her because I knew it'd be the most fun thing to watch her do. She's too soft. She needs to be hardened." The King told them and Drew jumped up to run at him. Brock had to hold him back before he could get away from where his friends were.

"You're sick!" He screamed.

The King laughed. "See what I mean?" Then he looked over at Misty, a huge smile on his face.

"And as for you, you can be my personal maid." He told her and suddenly the King was jerking back and forth. Then he began to growl but it wasn't his voice. It was Ash's voice. Drew realized Ash was fighting him.

"I told you not to touch her!" Ash screamed.

The King got control again and Drew almost felt as if he could hear Ash scream in pain.

"And I told you to shut up! OBEY ME!" He screamed.

Misty watched on in horror. She looked like she was going to collapse any minute now. Drew felt bad for her.

Brock finally let Drew go and Drew walked back over to May. She looked like she couldn't see anything in front of her and tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"May." He said quietly. She looked up at him when he spoke. "Drew, I can't kill someone." She whispered.

"I know." He told her. "At least, we'll have each other." She looked at him and nodded but she didn't smile.

He looked back over to see what the King was doing now. He had his eyes squeezed shut but he was smiling. As if he was concentrating on something.

"You're hurting him!" Misty screamed.

The King smiled and opened his eyes. "I know."

Misty sobbed. "STOP! I'll do anything! I don't care just stop!" She screamed.

He smiled. "Well, you know you're jobs. You're training starts as soon as possible. You will now have rooms to stay in. Oh but remember, if you run away, I will find you." He told them.

The guards led them away except for Misty who they left there. She was staring at the ground, tears falling freely. Drew wondered if she'd ever run out of tears.

The guards brought May and Drew outside. The sunlight was worse than the light from the torches. They looked around and saw different weapons and things littering the floor.

Then out of nowhere a woman jumped down from a tree. She was dressed from head to toe in black leather and she smiled at Drew and May.

"Well, hello. You must be my new students. I'll teach you everything I know."

And that was the day that things for Drew and May, changed forever.

**Yay! Cool chapter! I liked it. Well anyway, review so I know how good this is coming in your eyes. In mine of course it's going to be good. I wrote it! I need to hear what you think! So please! Review!!**


	4. Things Have Changed

**Here we go! Chapter 3! Time's gonna have passed. Now I know some things are going to seem kinda OOC but keep in mind what these characters have been through.**

**Arysd- I know! That chapter hurt to write. Well not really. It was kinda fun. Got in touch with my dark side. Man you do not want to see that. But anyway, I know what you mean about feeling bad for them all! I was thinking, "Poor everyone!" the whole time I was writing it. XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon**.

Black Roses

Chapter 3: Things Have Changed

Ash didn't know how much more he could take. He had been stuck inside this monster for three years now. The things he had seen were slowly driving him mad. He didn't know how much more death and pain he'd be able to stand.

And then there was Misty. The King was constantly abusing her and there was nothing he could do about it. At first it had been rape but now he was tired of her. Now she really was a maid, cleaning and cooking. And with every mistake, came the whip, or the brand. That was the worst. He'd burn things into her back and Ash couldn't help but scream along with her.

And then not to mention, his own abuse and pain. The darkness was always lurking nearby.

Sometimes he couldn't take his pain and others, so he'd do one of three things. Vomit from the horror, scream as loud as he could, or just cry. Cry until he had no more tears.

He didn't know how much longer this hell was going to surround him but he couldn't take it. There was nothing he could do to escape. He was trapped. Forever trapped in this monster. He couldn't do a thing to stop it. He felt so helpless.

He felt as if he were becoming the evil King himself. If there was nothing else, at least he knew his friends were alive. And that was important. Though he knew a lot of them would rather be dead. At least they might have wished that awhile ago. Now, this was life and there was nothing in the future that would change it.

***

_It was dark outside. Nothing could be heard but the rain falling hard on many rooftops. May ran through it all at top speed jumping lithely from rooftop to rooftop. Of course she was closely followed by Drew. He was her partner, her team mate, and most importantly, her life line. It was needed in this line of work. And as he was to her, she was to him. Because of their position, they had to trust each other absolutely and always work in sync._

_It was funny how it had been hard at first but now it seemed so easy. So natural. It almost felt as if they thought with the same mind at times. That was how the job worked. They had to be close or it would cost them their lives._

_After awhile they reached their destination. May looked down at the building and held up her hand to signal Drew to stop. He looked at the building and nodded to her. She took out a pokeball and stepped closer to the edge of the building. May whispered to the pokeball quietly. "You know what to do. Target is in the left half of the room, third table. Go!" She said as she dropped the ball to the ground near a window._

_Out of the ball came a Weavile. He quickly jumped through the window and into the small gathering. It looked almost like a ball except less people, and no one was dressed up. There were tables that people were sitting at but no dancing or music. There wasn't even any food. The only reason she thought of a ball when she looked down at the place was because balls where probably held in places like this long ago. Before the rule of their King that is._

_The King was the only one who was allowed to throw parties and they were always about him. He was pretty much the only one who ever had fun at those places. That was why they were here though. To stop this gathering. This was against the law and they were sent to punish those who didn't listen and called together these meetings._

_Weavile ran through the crowd quickly and was soon joined by a Mightyena. She looked over at Drew and saw that he was crouched down next to her. He had released his Mightyena the same time she had released Weavile. That was the kind of sync they worked in._

_Weavile and Mightyena found their targets quickly. Weavile used cut on the man's throat before he knew what was coming. And at the same time Mightyena used bite on his selected target's throat. The two bodies slumped to the floor, a pool of blood already forming around both of them. Mightyena and Weavile ran out the window they had come through and onto the rooftop with their masters._

"_Good work." They said in unison before returning them to their pokeballs. May took out a piece of paper and attached it to a small rock before throwing it through the window Weavile and Mightyena had already broken. Then they ran off the roof top in the direction of the castle to report back to the King that the mission had been a success._

They told him the news and he was glad. He dismissed them for the night and they returned to their room. They mostly worked at night so they probably wouldn't have any more work until tomorrow night. May closed the door behind her and sat down on her bed. Drew sat down on his.

"I'm not tired." She complained. She had slept most of the day. The two of them were mostly nocturnal now. He chuckled. "Yeah, me neither." He told her.

"Well, let's take Weavile and Mightyena to Nurse Joy then." She told him. At first she had hated her Weavile. Her and Drew had learned to kill with their bare hands at first, but then they had to have a partner to work with. In certain cases, a Pokemon partner was necessary to get your target. But she had wanted her own Pokemon. But the King had given them his Pokemon to use. She learned to get closer to Weavile though and she now loved her Weavile. It was really in the same shoes as she was. Pokemon could never really be evil. They were just forced to be evil. Evil was all this Weavile knew.

She had talked about it with Drew one time and he had agreed with her and told her that he felt the same way about his Mightyena. Mightyena and Weavile were as much of a team as she and Drew were.

Weavile was trained to obey the King above all others but May had been trying to teach Weavile friendship. They were becoming great friends and she was glad. They had been through so much. Some missions required a great deal of time and teamwork.

It was the same kind of closeness she had with Drew. They had been through too much together to not be close.

She was snapped back to reality when Drew answered her. "Yeah, that's a good idea. They did a great job tonight." He agreed and they got up to go. The castle had its own Pokemon Center on the first floor. Speaking of the castle, that was another change. The Battle Pyramid had been a tiny make shift place to stay. But now that the King ruled over all of Kanto and Johto, he had a much larger base. The castle had been built not long after the King had begun his rule. His current objective was to rule Hoenn. May didn't really feel bad about him ruling over Hoenn. It didn't really matter. Her parents were here already anyway.

She saw them from time to time but it was always strange. They knew she was a murderer. Hell, they knew some of the people she had killed. May knew that they tried not to blame her, but she could tell that they saw her as different. As changed.

And she was changed. She wasn't weak anymore. Sometimes she wondered if the King's rule was a good thing.

They reached the Center and Nurse Joy smiled as they came in. "Hello May. Hello Drew. Would you like me to take your Pokemon?" She asked. May and Drew smiled and handed her their pokeballs.

"Yeah, thanks Nurse Joy." She looked down at the ground. "Hey, Nurse Joy, umm, I'm sorry about your sister." She said slowly. She had killed her with her own knife. She didn't want to do it but it was the King's orders. There was nothing she could do about it. She should not have spoken out against the King because then she'd still be alive.

Nurse Joy just looked at her and narrowed he eyes. "It's fine." She said, not looking at May. May sighed. She shouldn't have said anything.

"We'll be back to get them in an hour." She told Nurse Joy and walked out of the room with Drew right behind her.

"What was that all about?" Drew asked.

"I don't know." May answered. "I can't stand having to go up to the faces of people who know that you killed their loved ones as if it's nothing." She said with a frown.

"Yeah well soon enough that's gonna be everyone." He said bitterly. May knew how much he hated the King.

May sighed. At the rate of out bursts from the people though, Drew was right.

Drew sighed. "Hey, let's get something to eat. What do you say?" He asked.

She nodded and they walked to the nearest restaurant on the first floor. The castle pretty much had everything they needed. They weren't allowed to leave the castle unless on a mission. There were a lot of people who wanted the two of them dead.

They got something to eat quickly and when they finished they got their Pokemon back from the Center. They didn't talk much. They never really talked. There was nothing to talk about most of the time. They were together every hour of every day. There was nothing they didn't know about each other so what was there to say?

"Want to go visit the others?" Drew asked. "Brock and Tracey just got back and Misty and Max will probably be with them too." He told her. She nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go see them." That was one thing May loved to do. Those were the people who never judged her and Drew. They knew why they did the things they did. They were under the same curse. Plus whenever Tracey and Brock got back from the war they always had stories to tell. And there was always a war. Right now, the battle was in Hoenn. And the thing about the battles was that the King's army always won.

They went up to the fifth floor and into the elite conference room. It was just for this group of people. They were the King's elite followers. She walked into the room and Misty and Max ran over to her. Misty gave her a hug. Since the two of them were the only girls, they had gotten pretty close. They knew everything that the other was going through. They were almost as close as her and Drew.

"Misty! So, how's your back?" She asked, knowing full well of all the scars, whip marks, and burns she had back there.

"It would've been all better had he not whipped me again yesterday." She told her sadly. May frowned. She felt so bad for Misty.

Max was hugging her leg too. "Sis! I've missed you! You haven't been in here for about a week!" He told her disapprovingly.

"I'm sorry Max! We've had a lot of jobs lately. You would know! You're the one who gets the information about our jobs for the King!" She told him teasingly.

"Yeah I guess. But I still missed you." She smiled. "Missed you too." She said hugging him.

She walked over to the table that Brock and Tracey were sitting at. Drew was sitting with them talking. She sat next to him and looked at Brock and Tracey.

"Hi guys! So how's the war been going?" She asked as she popped a grape in her mouth. There was a bowl of fruit on the table.

"Great! We defeated the government of Hoenn so many times there army is getting smaller and smaller. They'll be surrendering any time now." He told them.

Drew growled. "Why are you happy about that?" He asked quietly.

Brock looked at Drew and then realized it himself. He did sound happy that the King was taking over the world. "I-I don't know." He said and then was stuck thinking.

May looked at Drew and he stood up. "I'm gonna go to our room." He told her and left the room.

May watched the door he had gone out with worry. "Sorry to cut this short. I'm gonna have to go too." She told them before getting up and following Drew. She was faster then Drew so she caught up with him in no time. Speed was one thing she always had over Drew when they were training together.

"Drew!" She yelled when she caught up with him. They were almost to their room so they just continued to walk until they got there. When they did they went inside and closed the door.

"Drew, what's wrong?" She asked him slowly.

He wasn't facing her. He was standing, facing the wall opposite the door she had just closed. She could see his fists clenched.

"May. What do you think of the King?" He asked her slowly.

May was surprised. "Oh. I don't know. He's done some horrible things. But then again, if it wasn't for him, I'd still be weak." She said solidly. She never lied to Drew.

At her words Drew smashed a vase full of black roses. The reason she had so many was because of Drew. Instead of giving her red roses like he used to, he had started giving her black roses. When she had asked why, he had said they suited them better then the reds ones now. She looked at the roses on the floor and then back up at Drew.

"Drew." She whispered. He turned around and she could see the anger in his eyes.

"You weren't weak before!" He yelled. "You were fine the way you were! You were brave and caring. You had morals!" He yelled.

"What are you getting at?? What's the point of this interrogation?" She asked.

"The point is that everyone is forgetting. Everyone is forgetting that what the King is doing is wrong. You're doing what he wants you to do! You all really are on his side! Not once have any of you started to think about a way to get out of this mess! You've all just taken it as if it's how things should be! Do you honestly believe that?" He asked her.

She looked at him, a bit angry herself. "I don't think that's how it should be Drew. I think that's how it is! There isn't anything we can do so why not embrace it? Have _you_ thought of a plan?" She asked doubtfully.

"No. But I'm sure someone has." He told her.

May sighed. "I don't know Drew. I think it's too late to change this. I think everyone is set in this mold and it's gonna take a lot to get them out of it." She told him.

"We'd have to get you out of a mold too. You've changed too you know. For the worst." He told her.

"No I haven't." She frowned. "Have I?" She said slowly.

"Let's just drop it. I'm suddenly tired. I'm going to sleep." He told her and she nodded her head.

"I guess I will too." She told him.

He went into their bathroom and she sat down on her bed.

_Have I really changed that much?_ She thought as she looked down at herself.

**Whoa! Big changes! Gasp! Will they all go back to normal? Or will the evil consume them all? Mwahahaha! (Sorry. I like being dramatic.)**

**Well, review please!!! I'd love it if a bunch of people reviewed! It would make me really happy!!! So, um, review!!!**


	5. Morals or Murder

**Three reviews! Yay! And also, I'm gonna like writing this chapter so I can't wait!**

**Jynxite- Thanks! I always love when someone new reads my story and likes it. The idea for this story was in my head for a long time. When I'm bored during school, I day dream and make up my own stories. That's sadly how a lot of my fic's ideas come about. Hehe. Well, this day dream stuck because it's July and I finally decided it needs to go down on paper! Or rather the computer. But anyways, I'm rambling so thanks again for calling me imaginative even though it's mostly day dreams. XD So here's the next chapter!**

**Arysd- I forgot they were the only girls for a second too. It's funny, I always feel like I forget to write about one of the characters in the group and I always realize that the character I'm always missing is Ash! And since he's not really in the group anymore I always have to remind myself that. Hehe. And your suggestion is actually a really good idea and I know the perfect place to put a flashback! The reason I didn't really put the training in there is because I don't happen to train people in the art of assassination, sadly, so I didn't really know what to put. But I'm sure I can think of something! And I'm glad you noticed that about Drew. That **_**might**_** come in later. But who knows? Well besides me. XD**

**PokeShipper101- Thanks so much! I'm glad you like my fics!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon. *Sigh* These disclaimers are boring me. I'm writing another fic too, so it's double the disclaimers. *sigh***

Black Roses

Chapter 4: Morals or Murder

'Knock! Knock! Knock!'

May opened her eye and looked at the clock. I was 5:00 pm. Way too early to get up. Well late to normal people but early for her. But who was at the door?

'Knock! Knock! Knock!'

The knocks were getting louder and May wanted to throw her pillow at whoever was at the door.

"May! It's Max!! Please open up!" Max whispered/yelled threw the door.

May sat up and ran to the door. "Max! What are you doing here??" She asked as he ran into her room. Drew was still sleeping but he covered his head with his own pillow at the noise.

Max was out of breath and there were tears in his eyes.

"Max, you know you shouldn't be in this wing of the castle. If the King catches you, you could get hurt!" She told him. The King's punishment was more important than Max's tears. She knew that from Misty.

"May it's really important. There's something you need to see!" He told her. He grabbed her hand and ran with her all the way back to his study. This was where he found his information and where he stored it.

"What is it Max? I don't really care what the King's problems are. Why don't you show him?" She asked sleepily.

Max started crying again.

"What's the matter? Why are you so upset?" She asked. She wasn't very good at comforting people anymore. She really didn't understand tears too much.

"It's you next target!" He said through his tears.

"What's wrong? What, are you worried about me? Do you think he'll be too strong or something? Don't worry. I can take care of myself, plus I have Drew and our Pokemon." She tried to assure him.

"No. That's not the problem! It's just that I found a group of people planning a revolt on the King and the leader, the leader is…" He burst into tears.

"What? Who is the leader?" She asked, frantically.

Max just pointed to his computer screen. May walked behind the desk so she could look at it and what she saw made her knees weak.

It was a screen shot of a group of people that she could tell were planning a revolt, as Max said. And in the front of the room, the leader was standing up on a stage giving some sort of speech. May had to look away from the screen though. It hurt too much to know the identity of who she had to kill.

The leader was Norman. Her own father.

Her knees finally couldn't take it and she fell to the ground. She was kneeling on the ground next to the desk and Max was standing there crying. She didn't know what she was supposed to do.

Suddenly the door opened and a sleepy looking Drew came in.

"Hey, I followed you guys here. What's going-" He stopped when he noticed May on the floor and Max's tears.

He went over to May and helped her up. "What's wrong? What's-" He stopped again when he got a glimpse of the computer screen. He put his hand over his mouth and then looked over at May.

"May, are you ok?" He said slowly.

She nodded. "We need to get back to our room before someone finds us here. You know the King doesn't like us talking about things without him present." She said tonelessly.

Her and Drew returned to their room and when they got there May sat down on the bed.

Suddenly there was a black rose in her face. She looked up to find Drew standing in front of her, holding the black rose up to her like he used to give her red roses when she was mad or upset with him. But this time, she wasn't upset with _him_. She took the rose and smiled before getting up and getting a vase out of a cabinet.

"You know, I'm gonna need to start saving these all over again now that you smashed my other vase." She told him. He smiled and then he frowned, getting serious again.

"You know what we have to do, right?"

She nodded. "I know. We have no choice. We're going to have to kill him." She said quietly.

"What?!" Drew shouted. She looked up quickly and saw that he was fuming.

"What? I thought you just said…?"

"I meant, we're going to have to go against the King! Not that we're gonna have to kill him! Are you nuts??" He shouted.

"I'm not nuts! He shouldn't have done that! He's knows better than anyone that the people who go up against the King are killed. Mainly, by us. It's his fault!" She yelled.

Drew stared at her wide eyed.

"I don't even know who you are anymore."

He turned around and walked out of the room before she could say another word.

She stared after him silently. She wasn't sure what to do.

On one hand, it was her job. On the other, he was her father.

She decided she had to talk to Eve. Eve was her and Drew's teacher. She had taught them everything. She wondered if she'd ever been faced with a problem like this, and what she did. She ran to Eve's training grounds were she always trained newer assassins that would be her underlings if they ever got good enough to go on elite missions.

She was there, just as she knew she would be.

"Eve!" May called. Eve turned around and when she saw her she smiled.

Eve was tall and lean. She always wore black leather, even when she was off the job. May found other materials for her clothes more comfortable but Eve personally liked it. She had long brown hair that reached her lower back. It was almost pin straight too. She had bright blue eyes but she always had a fierce expression on that made them look dangerous. She looked like a killer. You did not want to get stuck in a dark alley with her. This girl meant business.

"Hello May. Where's Drew?" She asked. May shrugged and Eve frowned. If there was one thing Eve had taught them, it was to be together at all times. They needed to be as close as possible and always on the same page. She knew the fact that they weren't together and the fact that May had no idea where Drew was, bothered her.

"He's kinda mad at me." She told her with a frown that matched hers.

"Why?" She asked.

"Well you see, that's why I came. It has to do with why he's mad at me. I just found out that my next major target is going to be my father and I'm undecided about what to do about it. That's why Drew's mad at me." She told her. She wasn't going to tell her what Drew thought she should do and why he was mad that she was undecided. The way she worded it, she would think that Drew thought that she should just kill him. There was no need to get Drew in trouble.

Eve smiled. "Is that all?" She asked and May nodded, thinking it was a bigger problem than "Is that all?".

"Yeah. I was just kinda wondering if you've ever had something like this happen to you." She asked.

"Yes." Eve told her. "A very long time ago, I was ordered to kill my sister." She told May.

"You have a sister?" May asked.

"Had one." Eve told her.

"So what did you do?" She asked. It was possible she had been killed by someone else.

"I killed her." _Or not_. May thought.

"Just like that? Didn't you hesitate?" She asked.

"Not at all. It was her fault for breaking the rules." May looked at her for a moment. Those were the same words she had said before.

"Uh, you know, thanks a lot for talking to me. I need to go now. Uh, find Drew! You know, be close with my partner and all that." She rambled as she ran off in the other direction. She ran to her room as fast as she could. Drew still wasn't there when she got back. She was kinda glad about that. She needed some time to think. To make up her mind.

She lay down on her bed and sighed. She tried to see things from what Drew was saying. On the one hand, she had hated Eve. She used to think of her as heartless, and cold. She remembered how today she had sounded just like her…

(FLASHBACK)

May looked over at Drew when Eve was handing her a knife. Drew was already holding his and looking at it uneasily.

"Just take it May. This knife is going to be your life from now on. You must always have it with you, at all times." She told her. May nodded slowly, still unsure.

"I don't know. I don't like knifes. I just don't think killing is right!" She yelled and ran away from Eve for the millionth time. She didn't want to see that stupid murderers face. She couldn't go far or anything. The field was fenced in, but she could get far enough to just be away from her. Drew had dropped his knife and ran after her.

"May! May, I know you don't want the knife." He told her. He didn't actually know where she was. She had been in the tree and he had been on the ground looking for her.

"I don't know if you can hear me right now, but just know that it's ok. I and any other normal human being would understand. She's a monster; I know that as much as you do. I don't want you to change, as much as you don't want to. But don't worry! You'll never be like her. She's just evil but you're not! Just play along to get it over with. I don't want her to hit you with the whip again. Please May!" He begged.

May jumped down from the tree and landed right in front of him. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Ok Drew. I'll do it for you." She told him.

They had walked back to the training grounds and May kissed Eve's butt so much that she didn't have to get the whip. From that day on she played actress. She did all her lessons as Eve told her to and acted as if she was heartless. She acted and pretended. But she had always known inside what she really was.

At least at first.

(END OF FLASHBACK)

May pulled out that very same knife that Eve had given her that day. She always kept it with her at all times, like Eve had told her. Then she threw it on the ground and put her hands over her mouth and knew she was going to burst. She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it as loud as she could until she just started to sob. She had taught herself to stop crying long ago. She hadn't cried in two years, but now she was sitting here, sobbing.

She was just like Eve. She had turned into her. She had stopped pretending and started living. But there was one problem with this realization.

She thought of it as a good thing.

Although she knew what she was, she didn't mind. She knew that she had to be this way; otherwise she wouldn't survive as an assassin. It was the way things had to be. There was nothing to be done. She couldn't go against the King.

She knew she shouldn't feel this way. She knew she should be more like Drew, but something inside her wouldn't let her. It wouldn't let her go back to her old self. It was like she was being held together tighter by these strings. She used to be held together by loose strings that would change with the world around her. But now, she was held together by tight strings that didn't want to change.

She just couldn't feel the way she used to, no matter what she wanted to feel deep down inside.

The door opened and looked up. Drew came in and saw her, tears in her eyes. His eyes widened in shock. He knew how long it had been since she had cried.

He went over to her and sat down on her bed.

She wiped away the tears. She had stopped crying but they had still been on her face.

"Drew…" She began.

**Evil cliffy! Mwahahahaha!! You know I really like using that evil laugh. Whoa, I just realized that there was a whole chapter without the King in it. O.o Weird. I miss him! He's fun to write about! Please review so I can write another chapter with him in it!!!!**


	6. What I’ve Become

**Hmm, I have some good plans for this chapter! Mwahahaha…hehe.**

**Arysd – Hmm, if May went through with it, it'd be something. Hmm, and you have a good point about going against the King. And about this being complicated, I don't know, I guess it is but the story kinda goes its own way sometimes. And I just have to try to figure out what May (or the changed May) would do in a situation like this. And those two things were pretty big for her.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon. T.T**

Black Roses

Chapter 5: What I've Become

"Drew…" she began.

He sat down and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. It's just that the things you were saying, just, well, just upset me, I guess." He told her.

She shook her head. "No it's ok. You were right. I realized that I have changed. I realized that I'm just like Eve." She said tonelessly.

Drew sighed and shook his head. "May, no, you're not just like her. And you can change back. The fact that you know it is enough!" He told her.

She shook her head slowly. "Drew, I can't." She said in the same toneless voice.

"What are you talking about? Of course you can! You're still the same person somewhere! You know how to change, you just have to do it." May thought about what he said and for a moment thought it was possible. Then she felt the strings pull her tighter and she knew it wasn't possible.

"No Drew! I can't change back! Don't you get it?? There is nothing I can do!" She yelled, but not really at him. She was looking up at the ceiling and her eyes were squeezed shut.

Drew seemed to be getting frustrated. "Would you mind filling me in? Because I seem to be missing something."

"I realized that I'm just like Eve but nothing in me is telling me to fight it!" She opened her eyes and looked at him. "I don't seem to want to change." She told him quietly.

Drew shook his head. "That's not possible." He told her.

"It is! It's the way it is! The same way the King's rule is just the way it is. I don't know when you're going to wake up and see that but it better be soon."

"I'll never wake up and see that because that's not how it is!!" He yelled. "And will you stop talking crazy! You are May and you always will be. You're not Eve. And you can change back to the old May! You can!" He argued.

"If I did that I'd never survive in this world! It's a good change! It has to be!" She yelled.

"Then what about Norman?? Huh? What are you going to kill him? Because the old May is gone?" He yelled.

May stared into space for awhile and then turned back to Drew and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah. I am." She stood up and grabbed her knife off the floor.

"WHAT?! The King didn't even tell you to! And it's your father!" He argued.

"Well it's his fault." She said simply and dashed out the door.

She was running as fast as she could. It was dark out now. The perfect time for a kill like this. She knew that with her speed she'd get there much faster then Drew would. That was good. She ran through the city as fast as she could. She was going to the place that her father had been in the screen shot on Max's computer. She was running faster and more careful than ever before. She could not let Drew catch her.

She finally made it and looked into the window. There he was. He was standing on the stage but there was no one in the room. Must be getting ready for a meeting or something. It didn't really make a difference. She jumped through the window, smashing it, before standing before her father. He looked at her with wide eyes.

"May!" He said in shock.

May began pacing around him, boxing him in the corner.

"So Dad, why'd you do it? Did you think, my daughters the assassin, she'd let me off. She'd never kill me. I'm safe. Invincible." She mocked.

"May. Listen to me. I had to do something. And what are you saying? You will kill me?" He asked her, a bit doubtful but a bit nervous at the same time.

She twirled the knife around in her fingers. "I don't know Dad. Why don't you tell me?" She said, watching the knife, the same way he was watching it.

"May, this isn't you."

That's what got her. He sounded like Drew. "Is it? Or have I changed and this is me now? Did you think of that?" She asked through her teeth. "It's your fault for doing this!" She screamed.

"You won't kill me." He said shaking his head.

"Stop doubting me!" She screamed and lunged. She was upon him in less than a second. She held her knife up and that was when Drew made it and was right outside the window.

"May no!" He screamed, but it was too late.

She started stabbing him and screaming at him. "Why did you break the rules?! You knew this would happen! You knew this would be on my shoulders! Why? Why? Why? WHY?" She screamed in between every stab.

"For you…" Norman choked out before he made a strange gurgling sound and stopped breathing.

Drew ripped the knife out of her hands and May was forced to open her eyes and look over at Drew. That was when she saw her father. He was lying there, covered in blood. May looked down at herself. She was covered in blood too. And in a way, it was like it was her own blood. It was her father's, which was hers. She put a hand over her mouth, staring down at him.

The strings inside her, snapped.

"Oh god." She said shaky. Her hands were shaking and she was crying. Tears were coming faster and faster until she couldn't breathe. She was sobbing and gasping for air. She was shaking and the only thing holding her there on Earth, was Drew. He had his arms around her, trying to keep her grounded. She mentally thanked him for the support.

After awhile Drew leaned down and picked her up before jumping through the window. May sobbed the whole way home. They finally made it to their room and she continued to sob and Drew continued to hold her. She couldn't say how grateful she was for him just being there for her.

He wasn't angry with her or anything. He knew that she had finally come back. Her face when she had looked at her father had to tell him that.

When she finally calmed down enough, she turned to Drew, anger in her eyes.

"The King will pay for what he did to me." She told him. He smiled but it was a sad one.

"I've been saying that for three years now." He told her. "Don't worry. We're going to get him."

"How?" May asked.

"Your father's organization." He told her.

"But he's dead now!" She screamed.

Drew shook his head. "Doesn't matter. He had a lot of followers." He told her.

She looked up at him. "Really? Do you think they'll still be there even after their leader was killed?" She asked. Drew nodded.

"I think so. They seemed to be strong willed. You could tell from the picture Max had." He explained. "Plus, if we join the cause they'll keep it going." He explained to her.

She nodded, still unsure. But all they could do was hope.

***

Drew sighed. She had finally fallen asleep. She had still been crying but at least she wasn't sobbing any more. That was a good thing.

And another good thing, she knew that she could change back now. She had pretty much already changed back. And he had a plan to stop the King. All he'd have to do was go to Norman's organization and work with them.

He was glad May was alright. He lie down next to her in her bed and soon found himself asleep.

Suddenly though, he felt someone pushing him. "Drew. Wake up." He heard May say gently. He opened his eyes and looked up at her. She smiled. "It's seven. I figured it's dark enough to go meet with my father's followers." She told him. He could tell she was nervous so he got up quickly.

"That's a good idea." He told her. He stood up and they went quickly. He didn't think they'd have any work since there wasn't much activity but of course, the second they left their room a messenger came to them.

"The King wants to meet with you two." He told them before running off.

"Drew, I don't know if I can do this." She told him. Drew turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"You can do it." He told her. "Just don't say anything. I'll deal with him. It'll be fine."

She smiled. "Wow, so how long has it been like this for you?" She asked him.

He smiled faintly. "It's always been like this for me." He told her.

"I'm glad I'm on the right side now." She said with a smile.

He nodded. "Me too."

They walked through the castle until they made it to the King's chambers. When they walked in Drew saw Misty on the floor.

May ran over to her and helped her up. "Misty, are you ok?" She whispered to her.

Misty nodded. "I'm fine. If you guys are having a meeting then I'll just leave now." She told her. May nodded but before Misty could leave completely Drew saw her whisper in Misty's ear. He could hear what she said too and he smiled at her words.

"Just so you know, I'm back."

Misty looked at May and smiled. She hugged her quickly before the King had the chance to turn around. He was sitting in his large throne like chair that he could control with a switch. Misty got up and left the room quickly and May went back to where Drew was standing. He took a step in front of her as the King turned his chair.

When he was facing them Drew saw the whip in his hand. He threw it aside and stood up. Drew glanced at May and saw her fists clenched.

"Hello faithful servants. Your next assignment will be an interesting one. At least for you." He said looking at May and laughing.

May looked at him with hate and Drew grabbed her arm to try to steady her.

"Well anyway, it seems you already know. Well that ruins my fun. I'll have to have a talk with that little brother of yours." He thought aloud.

"No! We don't know the assignment from Max. I found out myself when I was at my parents place." She looked down. "I took care of it already." She said through her teeth.

The King smiled. "I'll have to check on that but if you did, then that's very good. I didn't even have to tell you. Though I don't really like the idea of you doing things solo. I'll let it go this time, but it better not happen again."

Drew bowed to him. "Yes sir. Never again. We'll just be going now." He told the King and quickly pulled May out of there.

Once they were out Drew looked at May. "Are you ok?" He asked.

She nodded as her eyes filled with tears. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the King's chamber. She started crying again and Drew sighed. He was trying to be as patient as he could but now that she was finally crying again, she had to let out a lot, he supposed. He brought her back to their room and waited for her to calm down.

"Are you sure you want to go tonight?" He asked her when she finally stopped crying.

"Yeah. We need to go before they disband." She told him.

He nodded. "Ok. Then let's go."

**NORMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOO!!!!!!!!! Sorry to any, uh, Norman fans, but I had to kill someone off. We all knew it was bound to happen. I almost didn't kill him off but then I just decided it would help May get back to normal again. So review on this kinda scary chapter! Pretty please!!**


	7. Judgment Day

**NORMAN! Ok, I'm done screaming about Norman. So on to the next chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile! I was really busy though! I've been so sad that I haven't been able to update! Sorry again!**

**Arysd – I know that her killing her father could've gone one of two ways. The way it happened, and the way you had guessed would happen. And we will see how everyone reacts.**

**PokeShipper101 – Thanks! Glad you liked it. It is sad but it's good too. And by the way, Congrates, you're the 10****th**** person to review this fic! Yay!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

Black Roses

Chapter 6: Judgment Day

May was nervous. She didn't know what her father's followers would think. First they had to establish that they weren't working with the King. They would probably assume that when they got there so they just had to make that clear. Then May got an idea.

"Hey, Drew, hold on. I'm just gonna change." She told him as she grabbed an old box out from under her bed and went into the bathroom. She had already gotten out of her bloody clothes awhile ago but now she wanted to change into something else. She slipped off her black boots, pants, and top. She opened up the box and blew away the dust. Three years was a long time. She put on her blue shorts, white under shirt, and red sweatshirt. She put on her old sneakers and lastly tied her red bandana to her head. She looked in the mirror and smiled.

"It's been awhile." She said to herself in the mirror before turning around and leaving the bathroom. When she closed the door behind her she saw Drew look up at her. He smiled when he saw what she was wearing. He stood up and May put her hand up.

"Your turn." She told him. He frowned.

"May, I don't know where my old clothes are." He told her. May picked up the same old box and put it in his hands. He looked down into it and then back up at her. "You kept my clothes?" He asked.

She smiled sadly. "Yeah. I wanted to keep them in case I had to worry about you forgetting who you were." She told him truthfully. "I guess I should be glad I kept mine instead." She said with a smile. He looked at her sadly and she waved her hand towards the bathroom. "Go on. We have to leave as soon as we can." She told him. He listened and went into the bathroom.

He came out quickly, dressed in his black shirt with his purple short sleeved shirt over it and his familiar green pants and black shoes. May smiled at the familiar sight of him. When he saw her smiling at him he frowned. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing. I just realized how much I've missed this." She said, motioning to herself and him. He smiled. "Yeah. I guess I have too." He told her.

They left their room and ran through the castle quickly. They didn't want to be spotted in these clothes. Not yet. And they knew they had to get there fast since time was limited.

When they got outside May went to jump onto a nearby roof until Drew grabbed her arm. She stopped moving and turned around. "What?" She asked, confused.

"Well, I was thinking, why should we run like that? We should go the normal way. You know, walking down the street." He said with a smile.

She looked at him and couldn't help but smile. "You're right." She turned towards the street to start running but was pulled to a stop again. She turned back to Drew again. "What now?" She asked him but couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, why do we have to run? I know we have to get there fast but it's only a few minutes walking distance." He suggested and May smiled.

"Ok. You're right. We can walk." He let go of her arm and they started to walk down the street at a normal pace. It was strange going so slow compared to their normal speed but in a way it was nice too. It felt like the past. Before the King's rule. They could walk at their own pace and didn't have to be so sneaky and rushed. She looked over at him. "I never realized how much I missed this. It's funny how even the littlest things can be forgotten." She said quietly. She had forgotten that this was the normal way to walk and not everyone ran on the roof tops.

"Well it was my turn for an idea." He told her. He looked down at his clothes. "I mean, I can't believe you kept our clothes. I'm really glad you did but I just can't believe it. I thought it were lost forever." He said quietly. But he wasn't looking at the clothes anymore. He was looking at May.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about the clothes?" She asked.

He smiled. "You know me too well."

"I guess that's one good thing that came out of this." She mumbled. She was thinking out loud.

He looked over at her. "What do you mean?" He asked. May blushed. She hadn't really meant to say it out loud. "You haven't blushed in a long time." He said quietly and she smiled.

"Well what I meant is that we've gotten so close." She said quietly. He smiled.

"Yeah. That's one good thing." He said and looked up at the sky. She followed his gaze and found herself looking at the stars. You could see them clearly since it was so late and it wasn't like there were street lamps or anything. The streets were deserted. They were the only ones she could see or hear anyway nearby.

That was when they reached the building. May sucked in a breath of air at the sight. She was regretting going into the room where she murdered her own father. She jerked her head away from the door at the thought and Drew touched her arm gently.

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly.

She shook her head to clear it and then looked up at him and nodded slowly. "I'll be fine. It's just this place. But it's fine. We need to do this." She said determined. He nodded and gently led her inside.

"Don't worry. I'll get you out if you can't stay in there." He told her and she smiled and nodded, glad to know that he was always looking out for her.

They walked inside and May heard something that broke her heart.

She heard her mother sobbing.

They rounded the corner and saw a large group of people and on the platform was her mother. She was sobbing and a few of the people were getting up and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"He knew the risks." She choked out. "He just wanted to save her and he knew what could happen and he still led this group. He will be a hero forever." She said through her tears.

May's face was drenched in tears almost instantly upon seeing her mother in this broken state. She saw Drew look over at her and he put an arm around her. After a moment May was sobbing. She buried her face in Drew's chest and was soon sobbing so hard she hadn't noticed everyone else in the room get quiet.

She finally stopped after a bit and looked up to find every eye in the room on her. Some of them had angered looks on. They were the ones who must have known it must have been her who killed Norman. Some had sad looks on their faces (mostly women), they must have thought that she hadn't done it and felt bad that she had lost her father. But none of their faces mattered but one. She was scared to look to her mother. She didn't want to see her angry eyes. She knew that her mom knew she had done it. And she knew her mother had every right to be angry at her. She slowly lifted her head and looked to her mother, tears still streaming down her face.

And to her surprise her mother wasn't angry. She was walking off the platform towards her and she was crying too. Drew let go of her gently and when her mother reached her she wrapped her arms around May. May was surprised but also felt awful. She figured her mother must not know that she had done it.

"I forgive you." Her mother whispered.

May pulled away quickly and looked up at her mother. "You know?" She asked. Her mother looked away and nodded. "Why are you forgiving me?! You should hate me!" She yelled.

"May." Drew said quietly from behind her.

"May, I'm just so glad to have you back." She said, looking down at her clothes. May couldn't help but smile as more tears flooded down her cheeks. "I knew they'd be a good sign for you." She said silently thanking herself for thinking to put these clothes on.

Her mother smiled but shook her head. "Honey, it wasn't just the clothes. I could just tell by the way you looked at me." She hugged May again tightly. "A mother just knows these things." She said quietly.

At this May couldn't help it. She began to sob again, only this time into her mother and she could feel her mother sobbing with her. They were both so upset about the loss of Norman and both so happy about the return of May herself.

***

"So you see we want to help." Drew finished the story and Caroline nodded and looked over at May.

"You're father would be very happy." She told May. Drew smiled. He was glad they were together again. The group of people were on the other side of the room still, not sure yet of what to do. Drew could tell from the looks on their faces that half of them were scared and half of them were angry.

Caroline noticed this as well and grabbed May and Drew's arms before pulling them towards the group and onto the platform. "Everyone, listen to me. May and Drew have not come on behalf of the King." Drew noticed everyone who was scared calmed down.

"Well it's too late! They already killed Norman!" A man yelled.

Caroline put her hands up. "Listen! They did not want to! It was a mistake. Can you not see how upset my daughter is?" She asked them. Drew noticed a lot of them looked subdued until they looked over at Drew.

"He doesn't look too heartbroken!" The same man yelled. To Drew's surprised it was May that stood up this time.

"For your information I was the one who killed my father and Drew tried to stop me!" She yelled, a few sobs breaking out as she spoke. The man looked like he felt a little bad for the false accusation and didn't say anything more.

"Like I was saying," Caroline continued. "May and Drew are going to be joining us as well." She told them. Drew noticed a lot of people seemed happy about this. Most likely because they were so high up when it came to the King that to have them against him would be a huge plus.

Drew stepped forward. "And as I'm sure you've guessed, we have many other high up friends who wouldn't mind going against the King. We can seriously weaken the King with his prime generals on our side." He told them. Many people got even more excited with this news. A woman near the front stood up.

"I believe we solved our problem of not having a leader." She said loudly. Many people began to murmur amongst themselves. Drew looked over at Caroline questioningly.

"What do they mean?" He asked her. She smiled at him.

"They want you to take Norman's place." She told him. He frowned and held up his hands.

"Oh, uh, I don't know. I mean…" He hesitated and then looked over at May. She was smiling and nodded towards him. "Go for it." She whispered and he smiled.

"If you really want me to." He said to Caroline.

"We do." Someone from the group behind him said and he turned around and smiled.

"Ok. I'll do it." He told them. Caroline stood up and clasped her hands together.

"This is wonderful! We're going to do this people. I know it." She said with a smile and everyone began to cheer quietly. Drew smiled and turned towards May.

"You're mom's right. We're going to do this." He said determined. The King would pay…

**Yay! Finally got to finish this! Again, sorry it took so long! But maybe not writing for about a week made this better! I will admit I was having a bit of writers block but I still knew the general things that were going to happen and I was going to write them but from being this busy I thought of other things that made this chapter so much better then what it might have been! I personally liked this chapter. Things are getting good! Rebellion! Woot!**

**Well anyway, review!!!**


	8. Recruitment

**Update! And it didn't take as long this time! Which is really good!**

**Arysd – I'm glad you liked those things. Those few things were the things that came into my mind as I was waiting to write and they came out awesomely. I really like the direction this is going in. Sometimes these fics have a tendency to go their own way and I have no control. Hmmm…well it's a good thing it's going the right way! XD**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon.**

Black Roses

Chapter 7: Recruitment

May looked around the room with a smile. She was sitting in a chair near were Drew was talking to the others. He had been standing on the podium and talking but then all of his followers got closer until he ended up just jumping down and sitting in a circle with them. May wasn't too interested in the details of their plans so she had mostly stayed out of it. She listened and spoke when Drew asked her a question but besides that she was happy to just watch Drew.

It was funny how much it seemed like he was born to be the leader of the rebellion. He had so many good ideas and plans for the group. May's mother was amongst the group talking and May smiled again. She was so glad her mother had forgiven her, along with everyone else. They all stayed there talking for hours until finally the clock struck 12 am.

May got up and noticed that no one else had even heard the clock. She walked over to Drew and tugged on his arm lightly. He looked over at her and May had to smile when she noticed the smile he had on even before she had got his attention. He was happy here. Happier then he'd been in a long time. He truly hated the King. May didn't quite know why he hated the King so much more than she had. She had forgotten what the King had done. She had lost herself…

But Drew had stayed angry and resentful towards the King the whole time. She wondered what had made the difference…

"What is it May?" Drew asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She smiled. "Oh, sorry. I just wanted to tell you it's twelve o'clock and we don't want the King getting suspicious." She said quietly. He nodded and looked towards the group.

"Ok everyone, come back at the same time tomorrow. And we will bring others like I've told you." He announced and everyone agreed and began to leave slowly. They couldn't leave all together otherwise it would look suspicious.

"We can sneak out the back." Drew said to May silently and May nodded. She just needed to say goodbye to her mother. She looked around and saw her nearby. She walked over to her and hugged her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said into her ear. Her mother nodded and pulled away enough to see her face. She was smiling, tears in her eyes.

"I'm so glad you came." She whispered.

May smiled. "Me too."

She let go of her mother and waved before walking towards Drew and then towards the back window that they were going to climb out of.

They decided that on the way back they would run across the roof tops just because they had to get home quickly. They got into the castle and into their room quickly.

"We should change." May said looking at Drew.

He nodded. "You're right. And we should stay in our assassin clothes just because it's too much of a risk to run around in these." He said and she nodded. As much as she'd hate not wearing these clothes, she knew it had to be done. They couldn't risk getting caught just so they could wear different clothes. If they were caught in these clothes the King would know that they weren't going out on jobs and soon hire someone to follow them. They'd seen it happen to others before and they knew they couldn't afford to lead the King's spies to the rebellion.

She went into the bathroom and changed quickly. She put her old clothes back into their box and smiled down at it. "Hope to see you soon." She whispered. She hoped so badly that this would be over soon.

When she came out of the bathroom Drew was still changing. He had his pants on but he didn't have a shirt on. It didn't really matter since he was a guy and since May had seen him without a shirt on before. But then again, that had been back before the King's rule.

And before he had gotten a six pack.

She supposed since they had doing so much training and working out it had been bound to happen. But she hadn't really thought about it.

"May?" Drew asked slowly. May realized that she had come out of the bathroom and stopped moving completely. She realized that she was still dumbly standing in the doorway of the bathroom staring at his chest. She looked up and away from his chest quickly to his face. He looked a bit embarrassed.

May herself knew that her face was a bright shade of red.

Drew looked down and chuckled. May turned around swiftly to face her bed so she could put the box she was holding back under her bed.

"So anyway, we have to go meet the others soon." He said as she slid the box all the way under her bed. When she stood up and turned toward him she was glad that he now had a shirt on.

"Yeah, let's go." She said as she turned towards the door. They didn't say anything on their way to the elite conference room. May was too embarrassed to say anything and Drew looked like he was too amused. She scowled at him for making her crazy. It was his stupid fault for making her feel the way she had.

When they got there May opened the door and to her relief everyone was in there. Misty was sitting at the table with Max and Tracey and Brock. They all looked up when they came in the room. Misty smiled and got up to run to her.

"May!" When she reached her, she gave her a hug and then pulled away and smiled. "I'm glad you're back." Misty said.

May smiled. "Was I really that different?" She asked.

Misty thought for a moment. "Well no, not really. I mean, you're personality wasn't really different, but you're morals were." She said with a frown. May nodded. That made sense. May wondered if they knew about what she had done.

"Hey Misty, uh, do you guys all…know?" She whispered.

Misty frowned and then looked behind her quickly before looking back and whispering. "I know you didn't mean it and I'm just glad you're back. Brock and Tracey understand too."

May looked down. "But Max…?" She asked quietly. She knew it wouldn't be easy to explain it to Max. He had gotten angry at her when she hadn't been sure whether to cheer for Ash or their Dad in their gym battle. But how could he possible see the reasoning, and forgive her for _killing_ him??

Misty sighed. "He's pretty upset." She said slowly. May had known from the moment she had walked in. Normally Max ran to greet her. He was still sitting at the table with his back to her. He looked really stiff too.

She walked across the room and sat in the chair next to Max.

"Max…" She said gently. He just continued to stare straight forward with an angry look on his face.

"Max please. I'm sorry. You have to understand-"

"Understand what?! How could you!" He screamed. He had turned to her and he now had tears in his eyes and they were spilling over quickly.

Misty and Drew had already been watching them but Brock and Tracey had been on the other side of the long table and were now looking over to see why Max was screaming.

"He was our DAD!" He screamed and he began to punch her in the stomach. It didn't really hurt May but she started to cry too. She knew this would upset him. He was Max's role model. Max looked up to him so much. She wrapped her arms around him and continued to sob. He slowly stopped punching her and wrapped his arms around her and sobbed with her.

"I'm sorry Max. I'm so sorry." She said through her tears. They stayed like that for awhile just crying until finally Max pulled away and looked up at her.

"I forgive you since I know that you're back to normal now." He told her.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? How do you know that?" She asked him, a bit teasing as she wiped away the last of her tears left on her cheeks.

He smiled. "I heard everyone else saying that." He told her and May couldn't help but laugh.

Everyone else had walked over to them and she saw that they were all sitting at the table. She looked over to Drew. "Well aren't you going to tell them?" She asked. He smiled as if now that he was sure she was ok he could tell them. He turned towards them all.

Drew looked around and dropped his voice to a whisper so that no one would be able to hear what they were talking about no matter how close to the door they were. "The group Norman was in charge of was a rebellion. And we were there tonight. We've decided to join the rebellion. They even named me leader though I guess it's just so someone can organize them."

"No. They named you leader because you fit it so well." May told him when he tried to down play his role in the rebellion. He smiled at her and then continued on.

"Well, the point is, we want you guys to join us." He told them.

"Of course." Misty said automatically. Everyone looked over at her quick answer and she looked back as if it was the simplest thing in the world and May had to smile. Of course she would answer so quickly after what the King had done to her over the years.

"Yeah, me too." Max said from next to May. She looked over at him and smiled. That one was clear too. If it wasn't for the King, his father would still be alive…

They all looked over to Brock and Tracey. "Come on. Without you, we're missing two major generals on our side." Drew said with a frown.

"How could you." Misty whispered. They all looked over to her. "How could you even consider not joining us?" She said harshly. She looked up at them, tears in her eyes. "Don't you care about Ash at all? Has everyone forgotten about him? He's trapped in that monster! Isn't the reason why we're even friends, why we even traveled so far and did so much because of him? Isn't he our friend? Don't you care about him???" She asked them, fire in her eyes. Brock and Tracey looked down as if ashamed. May just stared straight ahead.

She had forgotten about Ash. She had forgotten Ash was in there. She felt horrible for not thinking of him. She looked at Brock and Tracey. "So what's your choice?" She asked them.

Brock looked at Tracey and then at Misty. "I'm in. You're right Misty. We have to save Ash and the world for that matter. At the rate things are going, he'll control the whole world in no time." He said with a frown and then everyone was looking of Tracey.

He nodded towards them. "Of course I'll join. We really have to stop him." He said seriously.

Drew sighed in relief. May smiled. Everything was working out as it should.

She looked over at Drew. "You were right. We are gonna do this." She told him with a smile.

**Hehe. May and Drew. Hehe. Funny stuff. Well anyway! REVIEW!! The more reviews I get, the more I want to write! Keep that in mind!**


	9. Notice

I'm sorry to say this is not a chapter update but I'd just like to write a note to any readers. I'm sorry that I haven't updated in forever but don't think I forgot about this story. The problem is I have a horrible case of writers block. You see, I know what's going to happen but yet I don't know how to put it down on paper (or the computer, rather) or the orders or ways things should be put. It's a bit complicated. So if you all could bear with me it'd be appreciated. Feel free to review this because I'd like to hear what you'd like to say too. XD

I'll also be commenting on reviews I got on my last chapter so you know I've been listening. :D

**Arysd – I'm so happy this story is a favorite of yours! Sorry about taking so long. And about Gary and the professors, I'm glad you reminded me of them. I have the perfect place to put them. If I can ever find out how. .**

**Nellchan0013 – Sorry about not upsating. I feel bad so I'm probably going to say sorry a few more times to people. XD I'm really glad you like it so much! I always love to hear people say things like that. And sorry if I made nell cry from not updating! D: **


	10. Run and Hide

**I'd just like to say, I love you guys so freaking much!! You guys made me so happy. I stopped freaking out about you guys being upset or something or thinking I forgot about this story and it helped me calm down and sort out my ideas. You guys are so freaking awesome and now thanks to you guys, here it is! An update! And I'm pretty sure I've got this figured out. :D**

**Arysd – Thanks! And now thanks to you I don't feel pressured so here it finally is! :D**

**Jynxite – I'm glad to have another sufferer…er XD. And I'm really glad you liking this story so far and that you can understand how a plot like this can confuse even the writer. XD**

**Nellchan0013 – Thanks for the cure! Your idea really helped me! I took some time and sat down to write things out and thanks to that I got back on track. Oh and btw, I forgot to mention the ages as you had asked, didn't I? **

**Well here they are for anyone who was wondering for that matter.**

**May: 15**

**Drew: 15**

**Max: 12**

**Ash: 17**

**Misty: 17**

**Brock: 21**

**Tracey: 20**

**King: O.o No idea.**

**Ok, I know these may not be super accurate but in my time line and the ages I always imagine they are in the anime, it's right. So just go with it and don't ask questions. .**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

Black Roses

Chapter 8: Run and Hide

May walked down the hall slowly. She was a bit nervous about the outcome of things. She knew Drew was with Brock and Tracey in the contact room. They were secretly contacting Professor Oak and Gary. They had fled Kanto when the King had first come to power. They were the ones leading the resistance in Hoenn. They had led it along with the other professors but sadly they had been losing all the battles. This was why most of the world was under the King's control.

May was walking towards her room now and when she reached it she opened the door and walked inside. She almost collapsed though when she did. Inside her room, sitting on her own bed was the King. This was odd. The King never left his chambers. And if he did he wouldn't be going to visit all his followers.

She stood stone cold in the doorway and he smiled at her. A smile that chilled her to the bones.

"Sit down May. Sit down." She said gesturing next to him on the bed. She had never been this close to the King before. It freaked her out. She stood looking at him, not listening to what he had told her to do. He frowned, although it was a fake frown that didn't reach his eyes. She realized he was acting.

"May, May, May. All this time and you still don't trust me?" He smiled anyway and shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't matter though. I've come to tell you of an assignment I have for you." He explained.

May narrowed her eyes. She didn't like this. Something was off. For one thing, why wasn't he telling her with in his throne room? And why was he saying this while Drew wasn't here?

"I'll go get Drew." She said slowly.

"No, no. This is a special assignment for just you, my dear."

May shivered when he called her his dear. She didn't like where this was going. She wanted Drew here. She felt uncomfortable and didn't know what the King wanted.

"Speaking of Drew, this actually has to do with him." May felt her stomach drop. "You see, I know your loyal. If you weren't, you wouldn't have killed your own father for me." He smiled proudly. It sickened her and she knew what he was getting at already. She wanted to run out of the room as fast as she could.

"But you see, he's not so loyal. He's apparently leading a rebellion against me. Funny, he should know that he can't win." May clenched her fists and the King looked at her with surprise and intrigue.

"Well, well. It seems you already know this. I'm disappointed in you May. I had high hopes for you." She said sadly. She took a step towards the door and the King chuckled darkly.

"The doors locked you know." He said with a smile.

What did he mean it was looked? From the outside? She ran to the door and tried to open it but realized that something was blocking it. She looked and saw a guard standing in front of the door. A big guard she'd never be able to move this way. She looked back at the King, still sitting on the bed calmly.

"It's a shame really. I'll have to find someone to replace you and it's going to be such a bothersome task. Unless you agree to stop this and just kill Drew." She said looking up at her.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Never." She spat.

"That's what I thought." He pulled out a knife and May felt her stomach drop. She felt her pockets for a knife of her own but realized she didn't have them on her. She looked back at him as he wiped the knife on the bed sheets as if cleaning it.

"You can kill me you know, but it won't change a thing." She told him quietly.

"Oh I know." The King told her. "It's Drew I needed dead. I already got rid of him though. I was just testing to see if it was true that you were part of the rebellion as well. It saddens me that you are though." He told her, still looking down at the knife instead of her.

May almost collapsed on the floor. He already took care of Drew? What the hell did that mean?? Was he telling the truth? Could it really be? Was Drew really…gone?

She felt like she had been hit by a bus and watched as the evil creature in front of her stood and smiled.

"It's been nice talking to you but I have other matters to attend to."

May jumped up, alert. Her training had prepared her for this, hadn't it? Hand to hand combat, the art of killing and not being killed. She would've been able to escape him but she was too paralyzed thinking of Drew's well being.

The King lurched at her and she tried to run and get away but before she knew it, she was trapped in a corner. The King had her pinned to the wall, the knife at her throat. She tried to squirm out of his arms but it was no use.

He lifted the knife up and pointed it towards her in a stabbing position. "It's been fun." He told her and May held her breath. Suddenly the King cried out in pain and dropped the knife. May was confused for a moment until he weakened and she pushed him away. She noticed the throwing knife in his leg that had cause him to falter.

Her heart swelled in her chest when she looked up to see Drew in the door way.

***

Drew hadn't taken much time killing the guard in front of the door and had barged into the room, fearing the worst. He threw his knife as fast as he could and was relieved to see that May was safe as she stood in the corner.

She looked at him and ran to him gladly. He grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room quickly fleeing the castle. They ran through the streets and after awhile they stopped in an ally. It was only the two of them. Drew had brought her to one of the rebellions secret hide outs for times like this.

They walked through a door and they were in a small room with a bed and a fridge. There was also supplies there too for anything.

He rubbed his eyes and turned towards May. But before he knew it, she had run at him and was now hugging him.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" She blubbered. He realized she was crying. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"You're glad I'm ok?? I'm glad you're ok! Why would you be worried about me? I wasn't the one being murdered." He told her, still hugging her tightly.

"The King told me he had already killed you." She said through her tears. He smiled faintly at her. She was happier that he was alive then that he had saved her life. She was something else.

He pulled her away so he could look at her face although he still had his arms around her. "No, I'm fine. He was lying to probably get your guard down. I have a feeling it worked." He told her, thinking about her in the corner with the King and his knife ready to end it all. Drew shuddered. The sight was not something he ever wanted to see again. This was the second time he had almost lost May to the hands of the King. He vowed silently to never let it happen again.

He led her over to the bed and sat down with her. "Sorry I scared you though."

She smiled lightly. "It wasn't your fault." She said with a shrug.

He liked it when she smiled now. He had missed her old smile. Not the fake one she used to do, but the real one from back before the King's rule. He had missed that so much when she had lost herself.

He realized he suddenly had a strong urge to kiss her. She was looking at the wall, probably thinking about something and he wanted very badly to turn her face towards his and kiss her.

He began to move his face closer to hers without even realizing it and once he had he sat back up straight. This wasn't the time or the place. He turned towards the fridge and turned towards her.

"You hungry?" He asked. He could feel himself blushing for what he had almost done even though she hadn't even seen him. She shook her head silently and he looked inside the fridge anyway since he wanted something.

The only thing he could find that he wanted was a water bottle. He took it out and put it on a small bedside table and suddenly didn't want to drink it. He just watched it silently thinking.

***

May looked at the wall, so glad Drew was ok. She wondered what he had taken out of the fridge and looked over to see him staring down a water bottle. She reached over and picked up the water bottle. She opened it and took a swig and put it back in its original place.

"Sorry. Guess I was thirsty. Someone had to drink it." She said with a shrug.

Drew smiled at her and nodded. "You have a point."

"Do you think we're gonna get out of this alive?" She suddenly asked honestly.

Drew must have been surprised by her question because he turned towards her with surprise on his face. And he looked like he'd just had an epiphany of some kind. "I don't know May." He answered, although he still looked like he had realized the meaning of life.

After a moment May became impatient. "What is it?!" She asked.

He looked over at her. He was suddenly getting closer to her. Her heart started pounding and she felt like her stomach was flipping. He lifted his hand and put it on her cheek. Her skin tingled where their skin touched. Slowly, he moved closer to her and suddenly their lips were only a few centimeters away. She quickly closed the distance, not being able to wait any longer and he began to kiss her sweetly. Then it turned needy. She understood though because she needed this too. She needed him. They needed each other. She put her hands behind his neck and he had both of his on her face. They stayed like this for a few long moments until they pulled apart.

Drew looked at her seriously. "I just realized that if we do die in this, I didn't want to have never done that."

**Yay! I did it! I overcame my writers block and out of it came a really awesome chapter that I have to say I like. It wasn't expecting it though. I came into the chapter still not really knowing what to do when it just came to me! XD So I hope you guys review since I worked very hard on getting this up for you. :D**


	11. Game Plan

**Readers (hopefully your out there): Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Update!!!! What the heck? This girl never updates!**

**Elena: I knooooooow. I'm sorry. I'm a horrible person. You should all just create a mob and kill me now! T.T**

**Readers: Maybe we will. You most definitely deserve it. .**

**Elena: I'm sorry!!!! Here you are! Hope you like it. Oh but first, my many wonderful reviews. I love you guys so freaking much. 3**

**Nellchan0013 – Yes, your idea worked wonderfully. Thanks for an good idea for the future! Oh and great minds tend to think alike. :D So glad you still like it even though it takes me forever to get these things up. And about the mistakes and awkward sentences, sorry about that. I was actually up really late writing it and so I didn't bother to read through it again like I normally do which always fixes those kinds of things so yeah. I'll be sure to do that this time though because believe me, when I read that chapter over I cringe with all the odd sentences and typos.**

**Arysd – I hope this update made you just as happy as the last one. I know it makes me happy. XD Glad you liked the chapter since it was hard to think up the idea with writers block and what not. O.O And of course the professors and Gary are alive. If they were dead I think I'd cry myself. D:**

**Heroine Riejj - Glad you like it! Here's the update like you wanted. Although sadly it wasn't soon like you asked. Sorry again. D:**

**- Wow, long name to type out. ANYWHO, super happy you liked it! And yes, darn that king. *shakes fist in air***

**Emerald Malfoy - DDDDD: Sorry I didn't update soon like you asked. v.v**

**DarkStarEmerging - Glad I'm not the only one with a dark enough mind to make this up. XD Glad you approve of it as well. I know how'd you feel if I wrote this horribly. I myself would be pissed if someone had the same idea but butchered it. Glad there's no hard feelings and I'll be sure to write this as well as I can to make it up to you. :D And yes, I must watch for the king. I never know when he might turn against me and get a new writer. :o He may come knocking at your door since I don't update nearly enough. T__T**

**Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

Black Roses

Chapter 9: Game Plan

May looked at the empty room. She had gone to sleep and woke up to find the other half of her bed empty. She didn't know where Drew had gone and it was killing her. She was worried about him. She didn't like that he went off without her. At any moment he could be jumped by the King's loyal followers and taken to be killed.

May's eyes widened at the thought and she got up quickly from the bed. She ran towards the door when she suddenly saw a note on the nightstand next to the bed.

"May,

Went out to talk to the others. Please don't leave here. Wait for me. Get dressed, there are clothes in the draws of this nightstand. I'll be back soon.

Drew"

May sighed. She didn't want to wait here but she guessed she didn't really have any other choice. She opened the draw of the nightstand that the note was on assuming that was what he meant. Of course inside were clothes just as he had said there would be. She slipped on a T-shirt and jeans.

And that was when the waiting began. She looked at the clock on the wall. 10:00 am. Jeez, she had slept late. Even so, she wondered where Drew could be and when he'd come back.

Or if he'd come back.

Minutes seemed like hours and she watched the hands of the clock move. At times it almost seemed like they were moving counter-clockwise just to mess with her.

At one point she got up and began pacing the room. She was worried, lonely, bored, frustrated, and a bit ticked off. How could he leave her there? Didn't he know what this would do to her?? Didn't he realize at all how much she depended on him? She looked back at her time as an assassin with him and realized that all this time she had looked at him as a lifeline when really he was something much more essential.

He was her support.

She knew without him she'd be lost. Not only would she be under the total control of the King but she'd have surely gone mad. He kept her safe but more importantly, he kept her sane.

That is, when he's around. Right now she felt as if the walls were closing around her. She had never in her life felt claustrophobic until now. She pulled her knees up onto the bed and leaned her chin on them. She wrapped her arms around her legs pretty much in the fetal position.

She closed her eyes tightly and realized she had to get out of there. She got up and ran to the door, not even caring that she didn't have shoes on. She jerked it open and flew outside.

Except, she didn't make it outside because as soon as she had opened the door she had run right into something. She rubbed her head where it had clonked right into something else and looked up to see Drew standing in the doorway rubbing his own forehead.

"Where were you going?" He asked her. She could see that he was trying to hold back laughter as he held out a hand to help her up.

"I was, uh, just getting some fresh air. That's all." She lied and took his hand. She suddenly noticed there were others behind him.

"Misty! Max! Brock! Tracey! I'm so glad your hear!" She said excitedly. Misty and Max ran into the small room and hugged May tightly.

"I'm glad _you're _here! Drew told us what the scumbag tried to do! I'm so glad you're alright!" Misty let go of her and Max soon followed suit. Just then another head poked into the doorway.

"What? I don't get a hello too?" said a familiar voice. May smiled upon seeing Gary Oak in front of her. It was funny how for awhile there she had thought of him as the enemy. And although she didn't know Gary all that well compared to the others, she was still relieved to see him. She knew that since he was one of leaders who led the opposing forces on the King's rule, it was a good thing he was here.

"Gary! I wasn't expecting you!" She told him with a laugh.

She suddenly had a thought though. "Wait a minute. How are all of you here though? Isn't the King watching you guys closely now?" She looked over at Gary. "And you're the enemy to him. How did you make it into his territory without being captured??" She asked quickly.

Drew smiled. "Allow me to explain. They're all out "looking" for us right now. Since we left, the King has had everyone looking for us. He is not happy about us getting away from him like that."

"It's cause he knows we mean business!" Brock yelled and May laughed.

"We have to keep them in the castle and make sure he believes they are still loyal. We need people on the inside to pull off certain plans. Spies are vital." Drew explained. May nodded, trying not to smile at the fact that he really did make a good leader.

"I got here undercover." Gary explained. "I came from a delivery system made up of the rebellion. There are more of them then just your little group in this town. They all communicate and discuss with each other. You'd be surprised that it's a whole organized system." He explained with a smile.

May took in all the information, nodding slowly. She was thinking of how this was possibly going to work but she didn't really have any ideas of her own. She looked over at Drew and smiled.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked. Everyone gathered around Drew and they shut the door. They knew this would be a vital conversation that they couldn't miss.

"Ok, so we're going to weaken them by using our inside influences and then do the one thing they'll least expect. A full on frontal attack. We'll turn off all major technology being used inside the castle and screw up any plans they have set. Max will help cover up any major activity that would get the King's notice. The battle itself will be fairly easy to win considering the generals we'll be against will be Brock and Tracey." He said with a smile.

"As that 's going on, some of us will sneak into the castle and find all prisoners or captives and set them free. Then Misty, you, and I will find the King. He won't be heavily guarded because the attack on the outside will cause his men to leave him so it shouldn't be too hard to get to him. That's when we'll…" Drew looked down and opened his mouth to finish, although it seemed Misty already knew what he was going to say.

"Get Ash back." Misty interrupted. May looked over at Misty who was looking to the ground, sadness apparent on her face. Tears were threatening to spill over and a few eventually did.

May smiled sympathetically and put an arm around Misty. "Yep. That's exactly what we'll do. And then we'll get the world back to the way it was." She said with a reassuring smile. Misty looked at May and smiled brightly.

"And when is all this planned to begin?" Gary asked.

Drew smiled. "As soon as possible." They began to discuss all the things and ways that they'll be able to weaken the castle before the attack. Drew was figuring it'll take about a week to weaken the King and prepare the rebellion's armies.

May sat and listened to them plan as Misty tapped her shoulder. She looked over at Misty who looked down at the ground.

"Thanks." She said quietly. May smiled and hugged Misty. "No problem. Just returning the favor."

"Do you really think we'll save him?" She asked quietly.

May pulled away and smiled. "We can try, right?"

***

Ash drifted slowly in his normal reality. He could tell the King was pissed though. He continued to hear the King's angry thoughts. A lot of them weren't pleasant and caused Ash to flinch at the thought of what he was planning for May and Drew.

Usually the King was careful with what thoughts, he wouldn't allow Ash to hear but when he was angry he could never really hold it in so Ash hear everything. He hated when he could hear and truly understand the King though. He didn't want to be in his mind. The King mostly ignored him now-a-days. He was pretty happy about that though. He hadn't felt the power of the darkness since the last time Misty had come.

That was usually when he would act out. But the King had been busy with other matters that he didn't really have time to think of new and fun ways to torture both Misty and Ash. Ash was thankful for that.

Ash wasn't planning on acting out anytime soon. He knew that if he saved up his energy, he'd be able to use it to hopefully gain control of his body for just a moment if he needed to.

He smiled at the thought of escaping or even just out smarting the King right under his nose. Quite literally.

_What are you happy about?_ He heard bellow all around him.

Ash frowned. He could never get away from him for too long. "I'm not happy about anything important. I was simply thinking of the days when I was free. When I had my own body and my own mind. You can't really be angry at me for merely remembering past days." He said bitterly.

After being in the King's mind for so long the King was more tolerant of Ash. Sure, Ash would try to oppose him which always caused the King much anger but his comments and his thoughts didn't bother the King quite as much as they used to. The King would unleash the darkness on Ash at least once a day at first. Ash had also gotten better with dealing with the King and knowing the right things to tell him when he needed to.

After all, he was in the King's head.

Ash had this odd feeling of hope inside him though. He didn't know why or where it came from but it made him glad. The thing about it thought wasn't that he had hope of escape or anything. He had hope for his friends. Hope for them to be happy and for the world to go back to normal.

For some reason he knew he'd never get out of this. He'd be dead before he got out of this. He wasn't even sure if he was alive now. He couldn't really explain the way his spirit seemed to be here yet not exist at all. He felt like he was an empty shell of what used to be.

_That's because you are an empty shell._ The King chuckle at his joke and Ash waved his hand.

"Don't you have better things to do then listen to the voices in your head?" Ash asked with a smirk. Ash could feel that the King was frowning as he mumbled something and went back to his own business.

**Yay! Awesome chapter. I personally liked it even if it was a bit boring. We just had to get that stuff out of the way first before going on to more important stuff. Had to set the stage. Well, hope you liked it too and REVIEW! Maybe, if I'm not too busy I'll update this soon. Like tomorrow or in the next week at the most. I'm feeling into writing lately. I won't make promises but we can cross out fingers. :D**


	12. Castle Full of Secrets

**Merry Christmas!!! I promised you guys I'd get this done this week so here I am! :D**

**Arysd – Have I mentioned I love you? XD You made me feel better about taking so long. I honestly think I get more mad at myself then anyone else does. XD And it always makes me happy when you tell me how excited you get about updates. That kind of reaction is the one I like to hear about! And yes, Gary. I thought about it and realized that he was pretty important and should be a part of this. :D Anyways, yes, Ash has scary thoughts. D: So happy I made you smile. I'm glad I can make someone so happy with my spare time hobby. :D**

**Flamaij - Glad you liked it! Yeah, I couldn't kill anyone too major only because I think I myself would cry. D:**

**Heroine Riejj - XD yes, my mob didn't kill me. Luckily, I am alive and able to update. But I don't want you to come and kill me so here it is!**

**Today I don't feel like saying the disclaimer so I'm gonna make someone else say it. Take it away King!**

**King: She doesn't own pokemon or anything for that matter. BECAUSE THE WORLD BELONGS TO ME! MWAHAHAHAHA!**

**Uhh, ooook. Thanks for that…**

Black Roses

Chapter 10: Castle Full of Secrets

It was the big day tomorrow. Drew didn't really know what to think. They'd been preparing for this for the past week. He still had chills thinking about the danger he was putting everyone in. He was in charge of this and it was all his plan. That was why it worried him. If anything happened, he'd blame himself.

He was laying in bed and it was pretty late. He knew he needed his sleep but his mind wouldn't stop wondering. He looked over at May's sleeping form with a frown. He was most worried about her. He didn't know what he'd do if she was in danger. And now he was putting her in danger willingly.

"What is wrong with me." He whispered quietly.

He rolled over and closed his eyes, determined on sleep. And soon enough, he drifted off.

***

May was in the castle running by herself when she suddenly stumbled upon a room that smelt horrible. She had run in to hide from the guards and when they were gone she looked around at a horrific sight.

The floor was littered with dead bodies. But not just any dead bodies, they were the bodies of her pokemon from long ago. She walked around with wide eyes as she looked at Skitty and Eevee's bloody bodies. And then she found other pokemon like Pikachu and two Bulbasaurs. She realized everyone's pokemon were here. All of hers, Ash's, Misty's, Drew's, Brock's, and Tracey's. Then finally, she found one last pokemon. She fell to the floor in tears as she looked upon her dead Combusken.

It was her very first pokemon. And from the looks of it, it hadn't gone peacefully. Then she spotted a door on the wall. She opened it slowly and inside she just saw Drew's bloody body slumped against the wall. She thought she heard him wheeze before she suddenly woke with a start.

She was sweating and gasping. She suddenly noticed that she was also crying as she felt the tears on her face. She looked next to her to see Drew with his arms around her.

"It's ok. It was just a dream."

She nodded and took a few deep breaths before finally calming down.

Her and Drew got ready quickly and he didn't ask about her dream. She was glad though because saying it all out loud would only make it more real.

As they met up with the others though, she still couldn't get the images out of her mind. All of her sweet pokemon that she missed dearly. And Drew…

She suddenly thought about Weavile. She had left it at the castle the day they had run away. She wondered what had happened to it. She hoped it was alright. She had been with Weavile too long to not care about it.

"Hey Drew?" She asked suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Where's Mightyena?"

He looked down and frowned. "I-I don't know."

She nodded slowly. She knew Drew was attached to Mightyena the same way she was attached to Weavile.

She sat down and waited as Drew spoke to all the generals on their side and told Brock and Tracey how to handle things. She wasn't interesting in this part of the plan. She just knew they needed to get inside the castle.

Misty and Max arrived then and sat with her. "Hey May!" Misty and Max said with a smile.

"Hey guys. Ready for the big day?" She smiled faintly.

Misty laughed. "As ready as we'll ever really be."

"Alright, let's go over how we're going to do this." Drew said as he walked over to them. He looked at Max. "You know what to do right?"

"In an hour, I'm going to go back to the castle and tell the King you two have been spotted to cause a diversion. Then I'm going to mess with the electricity and get it to go off." He explained. Drew smiled and nodded.

May was glad that Max's job wasn't really dangerous. Max could've got a bad tip about her and Drew so the King couldn't get mad if that was a bust and plus no one would know that Max had turned off the electricity.

"Ok, so the three of us are going to sneak in." He said looking at May and Misty. "May, I know you know what your doing but you need to watch Misty. You haven't had the training we've had in stealth so you need to do exactly what we do.

Misty waved a hand at him. "May's been "training" me this week. I know it's not as good as the training you two had but it'll be good enough." She suddenly became serious. "I know what's on the line here. I won't screw up." She stared right back at Drew until he smiled.

"I know, Misty."

Misty and Max got up to go talk to the others for a bit and Drew sat down next to May. He handed her a black rose and she took it with a smile. She hadn't gotten a rose in awhile and she was happy he hadn't forgotten this tradition. Then he looked over at her, worry in his eyes.

"I'm going to be fine." She told him. He nodded slowly but the looked didn't leave his face. He slowly took her hand and she looked up at him in surprise.

"Just promise me you won't do anything crazy. Keep yourself safe." Then he smiled. "Otherwise I'll be forced to save you."

She took her hand back and hit his arm. "Very funny. I'll be fine. I'll be careful." She told him sincerely. He smiled and stood up.

"I should talk to the rebellion group as a whole so they all know what's going on and what they're doing." He said as he walked away.

May looked at the rose in one hand and then at the other hand. She could still feel where his hand had held hers. He hadn't done anything since that kiss. They hadn't even talked about it really. They had been too busy to talk about their feelings or anything.

She didn't really mind though. Right now wasn't the time for such things.

She listened to Drew speak and then waited. Max went back to the castle and they began to hear about how the castle lights had gone off and how they were being looked for. And that was when it really began. The rebellion generals and Gary's army marched to the castle and began an all out war. She watched from the side with Drew and Misty as Brock and Tracey's armies came out of the castle. In numbers they were even since Brock and Tracey weren't the only generals on the King's side.

She couldn't help but find it funny as Brock and Tracey intentionally made huge mistakes and led their battalions in circles.

Then Drew suddenly yanked on May's arm. "Come on, time to go." He told her and the three of them headed towards the castle. They went in through a side door that not many people knew about. It led them to the basement stairs and they ran down them quickly and quietly. They had to get down to the dungeons. They snuck through the dark halls and let out all the prisoners they could find. Many of them had been a part of the rebellion and were led to the back door and out to others waiting for them.

After they had emptied all the dungeon rooms they set out to go up the stairs. They found a stairwell that would lead them to the second floor and would get them closer to the King's chambers that was on the forth floor. But the moment they ran up the two flights of stairs they heard a yell.

"There they are!! It's the assassins! After them!"

They looked over to see guards filling the hall from one side and that was when they began to run.

"I guess the electric's back on." Drew said looking at the light above them. "We need to split up." Misty and May nodded and at the next intersection they all went down a different hall.

Suddenly, May was reminded of her dream. She was being chased through the castle and she was all alone. She suddenly needed Drew close by and she was freaking out without him there to comfort her.

She ran down another hall and another and another and realized she could get away from them on her own. She didn't need Drew to be strong. The thought made her run faster and made her mind craftier. She thought of places and ways to turn that slowly made the guards more and more confused. She realized she'd been running for quite awhile and she should meet up with Misty and Drew so she turned around and went in a different direction. She thought she heard guards behind her and turned to see them run down a different hallway. This confused her but she continued to run anyway.

She was running back when another two guards found her. She was suddenly being chased by them so she ran into the closest room she could find once she turned a corner. She listened by the door, waiting to hear that the guards were gone.

"Where'd she go??" One asked.

"I don't know. You lost her!" Another yelled.

"I didn't do anything you idiot! Just find her before we end up in there." He said as they ran off. May wondered where he had pointed but suddenly took a deep breath as she realized it didn't matter.

That was when she smelt it.

She was frozen in the spot she was standing as she smelt the same horrible odor that she knew all too well. It was the stench of death.

She turned around slowly and nearly fainted at what she saw. She covered her own mouth as she felt the scream build.

The floor was covered in dead bodies. She saw the image of her dream in her mind but then looked around and realized these weren't her pokemon. They weren't pokemon she knew at all. She was still horrified by the image in front of her, but she was able to breath knowing this wasn't her dream all over again.

Then she saw the door on the other side of the room and crossed the room slowly. She looked behind her at the bodies and suddenly pulled the black rose out of her backpack and threw it in the middle of the room.

"Rest in peace. Your safe now." She said quietly before looking back at the door before her. She was scared of what would be on the other side. She opened it quickly and peered inside.

She collapsed on the ground. It was Drew, just as he looked in her dream. He had a huge cut on his cheek that was bleeding, not to mention there was blood all over the rest of his body. He was slumped again the wall, all alone in the little room.

She wasn't sure if he was alive or not and that made her more scared then anything.

That was when she heard him wheeze and cough. She noticed he was coughing out blood…

But at least he was alive. She got up quickly and ran to him. "Drew!" she yelled and he looked up at her with a smile.

"Guess I wasn't as careful as you."

She picked the lock of the shackle on his ankle that attached him to the floor.

"Are you ok? Where are you bleeding from??" She asked.

"Don't worry, they just slashed me a few times and then ran off to find you and Misty. They didn't have time to stab me or anything. Although the guy who put me in here had enough time punch my face in."

She frowned and then took out a rag to wipe the blood off his face. "How did you get caught? I know you, you wouldn't get caught that easily."

"Well, I got away from the guys chasing me and then I was looking for you. I found you actually, but when I was running towards you, you didn't notice the guards that were coming down the other hall. So I got them to chase me but I guess I was too close to them when the chase began." He winced as she put a bandage on his bruised face.

She began to inspect the rest of his body and how many other cuts he had. He had a big one on his arm but besides that the rest weren't bad. She'd only fix that one before they'd move on. The rest would be taken care of later. They looked worse then they were. Then she looked back at him with a frown. "You got caught because of me?"

He smiled. "It's fine. I'm glad that I'm here rather then you."

She finished up the other cut and put the supplies back in her backpack. "Well, even if it was purposely, thanks."

She stood up and held out her hand to him. He took it quickly and stood. He wiped some blood off his lip and looked at the two doors in the room.

"Should we go through the door you came from?" He asked and she quickly shook her head.

"You don't want to go in there."

"Ok, let's go through that door then."

As soon as they opened the door they were ambushed.

"I'm so glad you guys are ok!" Misty screamed after tackling May to the floor.

"Misty? What are you doing in here?"

May got up and saw that they weren't in the hallway like she thought they'd be but they were in a huge room. She looked down and her eyes widened at the sight. The room was full of pokemon. A lot of them were hurt but they were all alive. And the most shocking thing was that she knew them all.

"Roselia!" Drew yelled and the little pokemon ran to him. May watched with a smile as Masquerain, Flygon, and Absol soon surrounded Drew. Then she looked around and spotted a lot of her pokemon on the other side of the room.

"Guys!" She screamed as she collapsed next to them and began to hug as many of them as she could at once. She realized she was crying out of happiness. "I thought you guys were dead!"

She thought back to the King's words at the beginning of this mess.

"_I took care of them…"_

She got a chill as she remembered and went back to hugging them all. She looked around and counted them off. "Beautifly, Munchlax, Bulbasaur, Skitty, Eevee…" She said looked at each of them. Then she frowned. "Wait, where's Combusken."

She looked around the room but didn't see him anywhere. "Combusken!" She called but he really wasn't there. Her eye's widened and she grabbed onto Munchlax for support, afraid she was going to fall over.

"It's ok May." Misty said slowly.

"He's not the only one missing." She said as she looked around. Almost all the pokemon from May's dream were there but Misty was right. Someone else was missing. "Who else..?"

Misty looked around and May smiled at how Misty's pokemon were crowded around her as well. Well, the ones that didn't need water. There was a shallow pool in the room and she could see Goldeen, Gyarados, and Luvdisc all trying to be as close to Misty as possible since she was standing next to the pool.

"We're missing Pikachu too." She said with a sad look.

"I found their poke balls." Drew said as he looked through a closet. He took them all out and began to return all the pokemon. He made piles of whose were whose and then gave them to Misty and May. May put hers in her bag along with Brock's and Tracey's pokemon and Misty took Ash's.

May looked at the empty room, knowing it had been her pokemon's prison for the last three years. She clenched her teeth and kick the wall angrily. Drew took her arm and pulled her toward the door of the room. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"May looked at the floor and cringed at all the blood stains. She prayed one wasn't from Combusken's death blow.

**Woah, long chapter. And it's only been a week! Yay! And today is Christmas! And I liked this chapter! So since all this good stuffs been going on, I think it's about time to click that pretty button right there that says Review this Story/Chapter. Come on, look at it. You know you want to. **


	13. It Ends Here

**Here I am! Not too bad. Been about what, two weeks? Well anyways, here's the exciting climax of the story. I'm sad to say that we're almost done. Maybe one more chapter? That makes me sad. T.T I'll miss this story. It was fun to get in touch with my dark side. XD**

**May: Your sick! D:**

**Shhh, it makes for a good story. Anyways, back to my good old reviews. :D**

**Arysd – Yes! Christmas was awesome. I love Christmas. :3 And I really liked the rose scene too. It meant something. It's kinda symbolism. It shows how she's throwing away the black rose that represented her old self towards the bodies to wish them off. The bodies are like the people she killed and it shows that she really has compassion for them but she was never allowed to show it so it slowly disappeared until now. Wow, long and random explanation that I just felt the need to put here. XD And we shall find out what happened to Combusken soon enough. :x I'm not telling anything though. XD**

**Flamaij - Drew? But I love Drew! I don't think I could kill him! Unless it was really for the good of the story buuuut, let's hope that doesn't happen. XDD And yes, Combusken. D: And I hope I didn't make you wait too long for this. :D**

**Heroine Riejj - Yes! I'm still alive! That's always a good thing. XD and yes, the pokemon! :D I just had to eventually. And I like the way you think. XD**

**Hmmm, disclaimer…**

**Misty: Elena doesn't own pokemon. If she did this story would probably be real. Please, don't ever let her own pokemon! She'll *mouth is covered***

**Uhhh, on with the story!! :D**

Black Roses

Chapter 11: It Ends Here

Drew looked around outside the door with May and Misty behind him, waiting to know if the coast was clear. They had to get to the throne room now. The hallway was clear so off they went, this time more carefully, to get to the staircase. They soon found it and ran all the way up to the forth floor. Drew peeked around the corner and frowned.

"Shit. Security's tight up here." He turned toward Misty. "May and me may need to go alone so we don't get caught."

"No. I'm going with you." Tears welled up in her determined eyes. "I have to save Ash."

He sighed. He knew she wouldn't just wait here but it had been worth a try. With her here it'd be harder to sneak around. More people always made things harder and her being untrained didn't help things at all. But he knew she had to come so he looked around the corner again and looked for an opening. When they weren't looking at one point, he grabbed May and Misty's arms and ran to the next hall quickly and quietly. May soon followed into step and he let go of her arm.

They stopped when they were in the next hall that didn't have anyone in it. Misty looked a bit out of breath but she was definitely trying hard. Drew watched as May took hold of Misty's arm and nodded at Drew. She knew what Drew knew. Misty was prepared to do anything to get to Ash.

For awhile they didn't see anyone. They walked slowly and cautiously but there was no one to hide from. Then out of no where two guards were heard coming down the hall. They found a room that turned out to be a closet and hid inside. It was a bit tight but they were able to manage.

"We need to get to the second floor." One of the guards told the other.

"Why? Are we sure they're there? I mean, everyone went down there. Doesn't that make this floor vulnerable?" He asked. Drew smirked knowing the fool was actually right.

"Of course they're there! We have all the stair cases covered! They're not getting up here! Just do your job and don't question me!" He must be the boss.

"O-ok! Sorry!" They waited until they couldn't hear their footsteps anymore and Drew opened the closet slowly and looked around.

"That was cramped." complained May but then she smiled. "But at least we got some interesting information."

Drew laughed. "Very true."

They continued down the halls this time a bit faster knowing that no one would be up there. They eventually made it to the throne room and stood before it.

"This is it." May whispered.

***

Misty looked at the large doors before her. This room. It had meant so much. It had meant pain, and horror, and heartbreak. She would see the one she loved, trapped, the one she hated, overpowering, and herself, unable to do anything.

She clenched her teeth. This time, it was her turn.

Suddenly her expression softened as she looked down and watched the two in front of her. They were both facing the door and Drew slowly reached out his hand and took May's.

Misty smiled. Those two had been through a lot. She could only imagine how they were feeling now. She couldn't help but be happy that they had each other to get through this.

She looked up at the door again. "Ash…" She whispered. He was the only thing that had kept her going all this time. She would get into dark places sometimes just wanting to reach for the knife but she had always had to stop. She had always thought of Ash and she knew she had to free him. Taking her life after all that would be such a waste. She was so glad that she would finally stand up and do something.

The only problem was the fear that was crushing her chest and she felt like she was going to fall down. She stood tall though. She had to. There just was no other way…

***

Drew looked at May and nodded. She knew that meant it was time. No more thinking, no backing down. He let go of her hand to push through the doors. They walked inside and she looked up at the throne. It was facing the door and the King was sitting there with a smile on his face.

He was expecting them…

May clenched her teeth and looked at the monster. He laughed in her face. "You three are better then I thought. You managed to get all the way here." He stood up and stepped down the stairs leading up to his throne. "But you know, it ends here."

May could see dark energy leaking out of him. She shuddered and stood still. There was nothing else to do but stand her ground. There was no other choice.

"Too bad I hadn't gotten rid of you two when I had the chance. But either way, perhaps this is best. Some things have been bothering me." He said with a frown. He was slowly walking closer to them and he was now only a few feet away.

He looked at Drew. "It really confuses me. And this should help for future subjects so I feel the need to ask." May frowned. Why was he looking at Drew?

"You seemed so full of anger. You seemed an easy target. But I was wrong." He looked at May. "You were so far gone, just the way it was planned. And so were the rest of them. I just don't understand it. Why you?" He looked back at Misty. "And you too. Both of you were different. Never changing. Always full of hatred. Why?"

May looked over at Drew. She had to admit she was a bit curious herself. Why hadn't she been able to be strong like Drew? What had been different about him and Misty that caused them to always hate the King when the others and even her self had forgotten to.

Drew smiled and May was a bit surprised by it. "You're a fool. And you could never understand." He said shaking his head slowly. "But I think I'll tell you. Because me and Misty are the same in this sense. Do you remember the day you recruited us? You had our families hostage and you threatened to take their lives." He said slowly. The King nodded although he wasn't catching on. Neither was May.

"Now I know you threatened everyone with loved ones, but there was something different about me and Misty. Something that made us snap." He looked at the King in the eyes with more hatred then May had ever seen in anyone's eyes.

"You hurt the people we were in love with."

May tried to remember back to that day. It was so long ago. She remembered her parents. Her dad…

She thought back to who Drew's people were and she remembered there weren't people. The King had used someone else. Someone Drew was in love with…

It was her.

She looked up at him, shock in her eyes. He looked over at her and smiled a bit. "Yeah, that's right. I loved you. I always have. Always will." He said to answer all of the questions in her eyes.

"Good, then this will hurt a lot." May's head snapped back to look at the King and she watched in horror as darkness surrounded her. Drew's eyes widened and he ran at it but as soon as he hit the edge he fell limp on the ground.

"Drew!" May screamed. Misty was kneeling down next to Drew, looking at May in horror.

"This much darkness will kill you. It'll be quick, so don't bother saying goodbye!" He yelled. The darkness closed around her and she closed her eyes in fear. But just then she felt she was flying.

She opened her eyes and realized someone was holding her bridal style and jumping away from the dark circle that she could see closing on nothing behind them.

They hit the ground and she was put back on her feet. She stood weakly and looked over at who had saved her.

"A Blaziken?" She said out loud. She looked up at it's eyes. It was sad. And for some reason all she wanted to do was comfort it. She looked at it a bit longer and her eyes widened with realization.

"Combusken!?" She yelled and the Pokemon smiled. She ran and hugged her very first Pokemon. She couldn't believe it. And she couldn't be happier.

Until she remembered. "Drew!" She ran back over to Drew and Misty. Drew was sitting up again and when he saw her he got up quickly and ran to her. "May! I'm so glad your ok." He said with a sigh of relief.

She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "May, what's the ma-"

"I love you, Drew! When your not with me, I feel empty. I know I need you more then anything else in the world and I can't live without you. All this time together has made me realize that I've always loved you." She said quickly and ran to hug him. He embraced her back tightly.

Still in his arms, she turned to see what the King was doing and was surprised to see that he was surrounded by Mightyena and Weavile. He was hitting them with darkness but it didn't seem to be doing much.

"Why aren't they being hurt?" She asked.

"They're dark types, May." Misty said gently. May looked over at Misty and Drew let her go, although he took one of her hands so they were still connected in some way.

"Misty. Are you alright." She asked. Misty looked on with tears. "Ash…" That was when May got it. That was who she had been threatened with. She loved Ash and she knew he was trapped and hurt.

She ran over with the others to where the King was fighting them.

Suddenly she heard someone behind them and she turned to face whoever was coming towards them. When she saw a small ball of yellow run in she smiled and was glad at the sight she saw. It was Pikachu. He was alive.

He was holding something too. May took it from Pikachu and looked at it for a moment. "It's the artifact. This is it. This is what we need to trap him in."

Misty took it from May and looked at it. "Oh Ash, if only you didn't have to touch everything." She said with a found smile. May could tell that she missed him terrible.

May suddenly heard a gut wrenching cry and then another. She turned quickly towards where the King was standing and he was covered in blood. She looked down with wide eyes at the bodies of both Weavile and Mightyena. The King was holding a knife and laughing like a mad man.

"If I can't use darkness, I can always use a KNIFE!" He screeched. May couldn't stop the tears falling down her face and she could tell that Drew was angry and upset too. But no one moved from the spot. They were terrified.

The King had lost it.

***

Ash watched as zings of darkness went back and forth around him. He wasn't being hit but the King was making too much of it. The King's mind was jumbled up with crazy thoughts. He wasn't laughing menacingly anymore. He was laughing madly.

Ash himself couldn't take the scene before him. The dead bodies, May crying, Drew's anger, Pikachu and Blaziken frozen to the spot. But most importantly, Misty's fear. She was terrified.

Ash squeezed his eyes shut. He just wanted it to go away. Everything. The scene around him, the people who were hurt. He didn't know what he was going to do. He was losing hope slowly. He could feel something slipping away.

All his time here, he could feel small bits of his soul being lost in the dark abyss but this was different. Something was slipping out of him and he knew what it was. It was his life. He was slowly slipping away. In a few moments there would be nothing left of him.

He hadn't done it. He hadn't saved her. He had failed…

***

Misty looked at the crazed monster in front of her. She couldn't take it. She didn't want to die for nothing. This wasn't the way it was suppose to be. This wasn't right.

She had to do something. She couldn't sit around anymore. Then she realized something she had completely forgotten. Ash was in there.

"Ash!" She screamed. May and Drew looked behind them at her.

"Ash, you have to do something! I know your in there!" She screamed as tears came out of her eyes and poured down her cheeks. The King's face suddenly wasn't smiling. He had a blank expression on.

"Ash, I've been waiting for you. I've gone through so much. I need you." She choked out. "I love you! You have to stop him! You're the only one!!" She screamed

Just then the King bent over and held his head. "SHUT UP! STOP IT!" He screamed. He was suddenly shaking and convulsing. He was screaming at himself and he had dropped the bloody knife long ago. He fell to the floor and rolled up in a ball.

Misty could only wonder what kind of battle was going on in his head.

***

Ash knew for sure it was over. That was what he kept telling himself anyway. But then he heard her scream. She was sobbing through her words at one point but he looked up and suddenly everything was returned. He knew he wasn't going anywhere, not without a fight anyway.

"I love you!"

With those word he knew he had to save her. He could care less about anything else in the world. All he could see was Misty. He started screaming. "LET THEM GO!" And the King screamed right back at him.

He was over powering the King and in their struggle he realized that he was randomly getting control over his body at points. The King was fighting just as hard though.

He could feel the darkness but for once he fought right through it. He couldn't let him win. He knew the darkness could kill him but he didn't care. He fought with all he had.

"GET OOOOOOOUT!!!!!" He screamed and with one final blow, all he could see was darkness.

***

May watched the dark energy fly out of the King and then she watched as Misty held up the artifact and it sucked in the energy. She held it in her hands and looked at it before quickly handing it to Blaziken and running to Ash's body on the ground.

"Bring it somewhere no will find it." Drew told Blaziken and he walked towards the door. Before he left though he looked back at May.

"I'll be here waiting." She smiled and he ran out the door.

She looked at Misty and her and Drew ran to her to be sure if Ash was ok or not.

"Wake up!" She yelled as she continued to sob uncontrollably.

May and Drew watched with sorrow. Was he really gone? Had he saved them with his last breath?

But just as she thought it Ash began to cough and his eye lids fluttered open. It was odd to see him. His eyes were different. Brown again, the way they used to be. And his eyes weren't surrounded by dark shadows. And most importantly, his body wasn't surrounded by the dark aura the King had always had.

"Stop crying." He said slowly. And Misty looked up at him once before hugging him tightly. Although she was still sobbing.

"I thought I'd lost you for good! I've missed you so much!!" She sobbed and he hugged her tightly.

"I'm sorry Mist. For everything. This is all my fault." He said, tears forming in his own eyes. "This doesn't feel real. It'd been so long since I've had a body of my own." He whispered.

She looked up at him and they stared at each other for awhile before Misty seemed to attack Ash with a kiss that would probably never be forgotten.

With that May blushed and turned around, feeling the need to give them some privacy and she looked over at Drew who was laughing at her.

"Embarrassed?" He asked her.

She smiled and walked a few steps closer to him. He now seemed to be a little scared as she backed him into the wall.

"Not at all." She whispered before leaning up and kissing him. It was long and sweet and she wanted it to last forever.

**Oh my. That was probably the best time I've had writing in a long while. The ends are my favorite. :3 Ok, so I worked pretty hard on this so I think every single one of you should click that review button. I'm sad to say that we only have one more chapter left and then the long road will be over. Another completed story under the belt. Our time is almost through. So I'd love some reviews. :D**

**Also, I'd just like to make a suggestion. There is an awesome song that I feel fits Ash in this fic soooooooooooooo well. I'd love for you all to hear it and relate with me. It's called Shadows by RED. It's a good song and fits really well. I listened to it the whole time I was writing this chapter. XD Also, if anyone is good at amvs and maybe wants to make one with the anime clips but about this fic I think I'd love you forever. If you don't want to you don't have to by all means. And it's just a thought that I think would be awesome. So if you feel like it, make one with that song about this fic and I'll dedicate this story to you. Ok? Just thought it was a cool idea. You can email me the link to the video or simply put it in the reviews when it's made. If you make it before the last chapter I can put it in there and mention you and the link for others to see. So if you want feel free, if not, that's cool too. It was just a thought. :3 **


	14. Epilogue

**T.T Last chapter. Well it's an epilogue technically. I like to finish off my stories on a little bit of a brighter note. Plus explaining the after effects of everything is always nice too. **

**Arysd – Before I answer your review, I'd just like to say, you are awesome. XD I think you've reviewed every chapter so far. And even in the times when an update didn't come that often I always could check my email after an update and see a review from you. XD They've made me very happy and given me a reason to want to write more in darker times (aka writers block XD). So yeah, just wanna say thanks! :3**

**On to the review you wrote now, Yes, this chapter took a bit of time. A whole Saturday to be exact. XD I enjoyed writing it a lot though and I'm glad you enjoyed reading it. :3 And yeah, a lot of things happened. . I can't even believe I was able to put that much stuff together into one chapter. XD Also, that's the thing too, their lives will definitely never be the same. Some things perhaps for the better but other's obviously for the worse. They will never truly be able to go back to simpler times. ):**

**DarkStarEmerging - Wow, long reviews. XD Love em. Don't worry about not being able to review. I mean, this one (or two :P) make up for it. XD I have to agree with you about the best parts being with Ash and the King. I have to say I enjoyed writing those parts a lot. Like you said, they're so similar yet total opposites at the same time. They clash perfectly yet it's always scary and crazy and painful for poor little Ash! D: And yes, Black Roses. I didn't want it all to be like "ROSES! THEY'RE BLACK! LOOK AT THEM! IT'S THE TITLE! IT MAKES SENSE!" like some authors sadly tend to do. By the end of the first chapter it's just like, I get it. You don't need to keep bringing it up. XD I just thought of the title as also a symbol for the changes that occur. I mean, since Drew always gave May roses it's cool that when they change and she forgets herself for their love to be like black roses instead of the average red rose.**

**And I think we're very alike when it comes to being a bit dark and being into those types of things. And yes! That is exactly what I was thinking she was thinking. (funny sentence :P) Anywho, I have faith that even if I had not written this story and you had gotten to it first, you would've done a great job with it. If I could entrust this into someone else's hands it would probably be yours. :D And don't worry the ending to your first review wasn't too cliché. :P On to the second review. XD Yes, Pikachu. He'll be explained in this one. I thought about him too and I have a bit of an idea with him. So time will tell his little tail. XD get it? Tail? Yeah, no, bad joke. .**

**Disclaimer: Ok, so for the final time *sniff* I do not own pokemon. DX**

Black Roses

Epilogue

Ash looked into the mirror for a long time. He watched as the Ash in the mirror touched his face in wonder. It had already been a week and he still couldn't believe it. He had his body back. It was his and his only. It had been so long that he had had trouble walking at first. Eating too. Pretty much everything. Three years of doing nothing took a toll on you.

He suspected he got off pretty good though, considering what had happened.

The one thing he hated though was how the King had to have taken his identity along with his body. Sure, no one knew his name or anything since the King never even told them his real name, but people knew his face. The first thing he had done was let out his Pokemon and that proved the problems he'd had to face.

--**--

"_Guy's come on out!" Ash yelled excitedly. The other's stood by waiting. He was excited to see them again. He had missed his Pokemon so much._

_As they came out, he smiled at them. But they retreated. They backed away from him with grim expressions. Ash frowned and looked to the ground. He looked at them all. And he looked over at Pikachu, who was especially cautious of him. He hadn't even gone near him when he had first come back._

"_Guys, it's me." He said slowly, as tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. Suddenly he felt something jump onto his shoulders and then on his head. He lifted the small Pokemon off his head and looked at Pikachu. The rest of his Pokemon where still looking at him from a distance, weary expressions on._

"_Pika, pika!" Pikachu yelled and Ash smiled. He could tell that after watching him for awhile, Pikachu had finally realized that he was in fact the old Ash. He knew he couldn't blame his Pokemon after the things the King had done to them. _

_That was one of the reasons why he was so surprised Misty wasn't disgusted by the very sight of him._

_Slowly, he saw that the rest of his Pokemon were walking closer to him. He smiled at them and held out his arms when a few knowing ones ran towards him. Soon he was surrounded by them all._

--**--

He smiled at how forgiving his Pokemon had been. It was probably because of how much they loved him before he had been lost.

Other then his friends though, no one else was taking it quite so well. He had met with all the leaders of the places the King had taken over and even the places he soon wanted to take over. He explained to them what had happened and they all listened sympathetically. He gave them back their rightful land and all of the lands returned to peace. Well almost.

It can't be expected that all of the hardships on the people would be lifted over night but the leaders were slowly putting things back in order again.

Ash sighed and left the bathroom. He was back home now. He was staying with him mother again who couldn't be happier he was back. He hadn't left the house in a week. He couldn't do it. On his way to his mother's house, enough people had given him looks of pure hatred to last him a life time.

He sat down on the couch and looked out the window. He hadn't known what to do with himself lately. It was currently the afternoon and he was moping around again.

He couldn't get over the things he had seen. The things that had happened. His friends were all staying in town too. Pallet Town had actually managed to stay a safe haven to get away from the King so most families were there too. Even May's mother had decided to come and say there near the end.

Ash felt completely broken. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to recover from this.

"Pika." He heard Pikachu say lazily as he walked into the room. Ash laughed at his little friend. He had just been asleep in Ash's room taking a nap.

"Sleep well?" He asked him. Pikachu sighed and shook his head before jumping into Ash's lap. He smiled sympathetically. "Nightmares, huh? I know how you feel." He said with a sigh. He hadn't been able to get much sleep as of late either.

Suddenly the front door opened and he knew who it was before he even got up to greet her.

"Ash! Where are you?" He heard her yell from the door. He walked into the other room and she smiled when she saw him.

"Hi Mist." He smiled back at her. Although he felt horrible about everything and he seemed to constantly be depressed these days, he knew the one thing that made him feel better.

Her smile made him smile. Her brightness always seemed to light up his world. It wasn't dark and dreary when she was with him. She had been staying at his mother's house with him which he was grateful for. Without her there everyday he didn't know if he would've survived.

Sometimes he wished he had died after getting rid of the King. He had already died on the inside. But then she'd come in the room and he'd know that he didn't want to be anywhere but right where he was.

"I went to the store to get some stuff for your mom." She said with a smile as she held up the grocery bag for him to see. He smiled and took it from her.

"I got it." He brought it into the kitchen and set it down on the counter as she followed him in. He turned around and smiled at her before walking closer to her and kissing her.

She kissed him back sweetly and the kiss lasted for a moment.

When they finally broke it he could tell he was out of breath just from the kiss itself.

With her, he knew he could get over anything. He was happy right where he was now.

***

May looked out at the water. She was standing on a bridge in Pallet Town. She had just gone out for a walk and had ended up here. She was thinking about everything. It was just so hard to believe. So many things had happened…

She was glad things were slowly going back to normal, but she knew their time had passed. They couldn't go back to the way things were. They never could.

They had all been changed forever. She could only imagine how things were for Ash. He was hated by the world and it would take at least a few years for everyone to understand and leave him alone.

She smiled though. At least he had Misty. May and Drew had been over Ash's house almost everyday the past week. Misty was there too and May was glad to see them together. You could tell she was making him happier. Making him forget a bit.

She had been staying with her mother here in Pallet Town. Their old home had been destroyed so she had decided to move to a safer place right before the big battle that had ended it all.

Max of course was staying with them. And so was-

Her thought was cut off when she saw a rose dangling in front of her face.

She smiled and took the rose before turning around. It was Drew of course and he had both of his hands on the railing on both sides of her, trapping her there. She laughed at him and then held the rose up questioningly.

"Red?" She asked him. He just laughed.

"Yes, red. I don't think black quite suits us anymore. What do you think?" He asked her.

She smiled brightly. "I think your right." She put her arms behind his neck, still holding the rose in one of her hands of course. He took his hands off the railing and wrapped them around her waist.

He leaned down and kissed her passionately and she smiled against his lips. She could feel all of his emotions in that one simple kiss and it almost made her lightheaded.

He pulled away and chuckled at her expression. She was a bit dazed at the moment.

"Have I told you I love you lately?" He asked her. She smiled.

"Every day."

"Well in case you didn't get the message, I do. I really, really do."

She smiled at him. "I love you too. That's one thing that'll never change." She said with a light chuckle. She liked this airy feeling. She used to know it as happiness. And she was so used to it's absence that she was having a hard time realizing that, that was what she seemed to always be feeling now.

He smiled at her and leaned down for another kiss. And again she was in complete and total bliss.

**O.O It's over. I'm in utter shock. T.T imma miss this fic! It was just oh so much fun. But now that it's over, I'm going to answer a question that most people tend to ask me when I finish a story. Will there be a sequel? This happens to be a tough one. You see, as much as I'd love the make a sequel and as much as I could definitely make one with the way it ends and all, I don't know if I am for a few reasons. 1. I simply cannot make an entire fiction about the after effects without some kind of new plot. There still needs to be a conflict and what not and I'd need to think a lot about that. If it doesn't have that though, I might as well just add more chapters on which would drag the story on longer then it should be. . And 2. I've sadly lost my muse to write pokemon fan fictions. Maybe in the future there is a chance more can be written about these lovable character but for now I just can't. I'm into another anime/manga that's taking a lot of my muse and thoughts and creative processes. And plus on top of that, I have two other fan fictions that have just been started, plus school, clubs, work, and family/friend needs. Sadly I can't sit on my computer for days and days on end just writing. XD Otherwise I probably would. So, for now, this story and other pokemon fics will be coming to an end. I love you all and am sorry to say this but it must be said.**


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